


Lightning In A Bottle

by Spikedluv



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Future Fic, Kid Fic, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 03:39:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spikedluv/pseuds/Spikedluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s been six years since Adam Lambert last saw Kris Allen, so when Simon Fuller proposes that Adam and Kris work together as the mentor team for the next season of American Idol, Adam’s a little bit surprised, and a lot rattled.  The job offer is something that Adam would be a fool to turn down, but he’s not sure he can work with Kris, not after everything that’s happened between them.  However, for the sake of his own sanity, and the possibility of the Idol gig, Adam agrees to see if he and Kris can rebuild their friendship, and if not, at least get to a place where they’re comfortable working together.</p><p>What Adam doesn’t expect, though he totally should have, is the way Kris looks at him sometimes, and the way his own heart pounds in response.  Things are further complicated by the fact that Kris has a young son now, and Ollie has taken up space in Adam’s heart right alongside Kris.  Adam’s afraid to believe that it’s possible, but will he and Kris be able to capture lightning in a bottle twice?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lightning In A Bottle

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the fourth round of Kradam Big Bang on LJ.
> 
> So many thanks to Adobejunkie for the beautiful cover she created for this story. You all may remember just how excited I was when I received it, and now you can see why. Her Ollie is now my Ollie, because he’s just perfect. And there’s a bottle, and lightning, and one of my favorite photos of Kris ever! The whole thing is just gorgeous and I could stare at it forever! (Check out her art master post here: http://adobejunkie.livejournal.com/13510.html .)
> 
> Additional thanks to my artist, Adobejunkie, and to the mod, Chosenfire28, for putting up with my procrastination and being so understanding. <3
> 
> In case you're wondering if some of the things I wrote about in this story regarding Ollie are out of character for a five year old, let me assure you that I took many events from my RL nephew and incorporated them into this story.
> 
> Written: August 12, 2013

Adam Lambert was led to the VIP waiting area and told that they’d be with him soon. He had no idea why he’d been asked to come in, but he’d been intrigued enough by Simon Fuller’s invitation that he agreed to take the meeting. He paid little attention to the woman and young boy already occupying the private room and claimed a seat in the row of chairs facing the door.

Adam didn’t bother with a magazine, just took out his phone to check his Twitter feed. He considered listening to music, but even with earphones in it might bother the woman, who was alternating her attention between the book she was reading and the boy, who sat beside her working what looked to Adam like a Rubik’s cube. Besides, Adam didn’t want to be so distracted that he didn’t notice right away when someone came to collect him.

After a few minutes of scrolling, replying, and retweeting, Adam sensed a pair of eyes on him. He looked up from the screen of his phone to find the boy watching him. As soon as he was caught, the boy’s eyes dropped back to his hands. A moment later he glanced at Adam from under obscenely long lashes that made Adam a teensy bit jealous. Adam smiled and waved at the boy, who turned red at being caught again, and then he returned his attention to his phone.

Moments later movement caught Adam’s eye. When he lifted his gaze from the phone he saw that the boy had slid out of his chair and was standing in front of the one beside it, one chair closer to where Adam was sitting.

“Where are you going, Ollie?” the woman asked.

The boy, Ollie, apparently, turned and bent so his upper body was lying across the chair seat. “Nowhere,” he said, hiding his face and deliberately not looking in Adam’s direction.

“Are you bored with your puzzle?”

“No,” Ollie said, apparently fascinated with the seat cushion.

“Okay,” the woman said with an indulgent smile. “Don’t bother anyone, alright?”

“I won’t,” Ollie said, indignant.

Adam ducked his head to hide a smile, but not before he caught the woman’s eyes and they shared a look of understanding. Adam didn’t have children of his own, but he was godfather and uncle to enough of his friends’ children for him to have gained some insight into the way their little minds worked.

Adam read a few more tweets, but his concentration was split. He couldn’t help being distracted by Ollie, who’d turned around, leaning back against the chair seat on his elbows, gaze traveling from Adam to the rug each time he though he might be caught staring. Adam didn’t really want to encourage him, but he also didn’t want Ollie to think there was anything wrong with his curiosity.

The next time Adam caught Ollie’s gaze before he could look away, he smiled at him, then returned his own gaze to his phone. It was a slow process, but Ollie gradually moved closer. When he was two chairs away from Adam, the woman sighed his name.

“What?” Ollie said guilelessly, with a butter wouldn’t melt expression on his face.

“It’s alright,” Adam said. He’d actually been enjoying watching Ollie’s ‘stealthy’ approach. “I don’t mind.”

“You say that now,” the woman said with a teasing lilt to her voice. “Don’t hesitate to send him back if he bothers you.”

“I won’t,” Adam said.

Emboldened by the exchange between Adam and the woman Adam presumed was his mom, Ollie slipped one chair closer so that he was right next to Adam.

“I know you,” Ollie said shyly.

“You do?” Adam said.

“Yes,” Ollie said. “You’re Adam Lambert,” he offered, his voice almost a whisper.

“I am,” Adam said, surprised. “How did you know that?”

Ollie shrugged. He stared at Adam’s fingers, so Adam held out his hand, fingers splayed so Ollie could see the green polish he wore that day.

“You probably don’t see many guys wearing nail polish, do you?” Adam guessed, given Ollie’s fascination.

Ollie shook his head, but he reached out to touch one finger to Adam’s thumb nail. “My dad wore it once,” Ollie said. “He showed me a picture.”

“He did?” Adam said. “Was it for Halloween or a play?”

Ollie shook his head. “It was for you. He has all your CDs,” Ollie went on before Adam could fully parse the meaning behind his first statement.

“That’s nice,” Adam said. “I hope that means he likes them,” he teased.

“Yes,” Ollie said very seriously. “He lets me listen to them, too.”

Ollie bent backwards onto the chair next to Adam’s, and stared at the ceiling as he kicked his heels against the floor. “I have a favorite song,” he informed Adam.

“You do?” Adam said. “Can you tell me which one it is?”

Ollie rolled his head to the side and studied Adam as if he was carefully considering his question. He nodded. “Okay.”

Ollie twisted his whole body closer to Adam as if he was telling him a secret. “‘Trespassing’,” he said, surprising Adam, who’d expected ‘Whataya Want From Me’, maybe. “My dad told me what it means,” Ollie went on. “It’s not nice to not like people just because they’re different. Our differences are what make us interesting. It would be boring if we were all the same.”

It sounded as if Ollie was repeating something he’d heard before, probably more than once, but Adam got the impression that he was sincere. After being exposed to some of the hate and intolerance that existed in the world, it was refreshing to see a child being raised with love in his heart.

“Besides,” Ollie said with a sly look on his face. “I like to say ‘ass’.”

Adam barked out a laugh before he could stop himself, and Ollie looked very pleased with himself. The woman glanced up, and then returned to her book after assuring herself that neither of them was getting into trouble.

“Shh,” Adam said, chuckling against the finger he pressed to his own lips. “We have to be quiet.”

“Why?” Ollie said. “We’re the only one’s here.”

“True,” Adam said. “But your mom’s trying to read.”

“Zoe’s not my mom,” Ollie said very matter-of-factly. “She’s my nana. My mom’s gone,” he added.

“Nanny,” Zoe corrected gently, more for Adam’s benefit than Ollie’s, he thought.

“That’s what I said,” Ollie said.

“Ah,” Adam said. “I apologize for jumping to conclusions. We have to be quiet because Zoe is trying to read and we shouldn’t disturb her.”

“Okay,” Ollie said agreeably.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said. “About your mom. That really sucks.”

Ollie shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”

Adam wondered what ‘a long time ago’ was to a boy as young as Ollie.

“I don’t really remember her. Just that she had blonde hair and she smelled pretty. Daddy says she loved me very much.”

“I’m sure she did,” Adam said, wondering how they’d gotten from nail polish and saying ‘ass’ to this potential quagmire.

Ollie was concentrating very hard on the rhinestones that decorated Adam’s jeans. “But if she loved me she wouldn’t have left.”

Adam was speechless for a moment. He glanced up and caught the empathy in Zoe’s eyes. Before she could say anything, Adam said, “Sometimes we don’t have a choice about leaving the ones we love.”

“That’s what my dad says,” Ollie told Adam, sounding equal parts as if his dad was slightly weird, and as if Adam had passed some sort of test.

“Well, it sounds like your dad knows what he’s talking about,” Adam said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Ollie shrugged. “I guess. Can I see your rings?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Adam said with more enthusiasm than the request probably warranted. He glanced at Zoe as he held out his hand for Ollie to examine the rings he wore on those fingers. She smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

Ollie had tried on all of Adam’s rings, asked him about eyeliner, and queried whether Adam would talk to his dad about Ollie getting his ears pierced by the time Simon Fuller’s assistant returned to collect Adam.

“I’ll be right there,” Adam told her. He turned to Ollie, who was pretending he hadn’t heard. “I have to go now. I have a meeting.”

“Will I ever see you again?” Ollie asked.

“I don’t know,” Adam said. “Maybe one day.”

“If I keep your ring,” Ollie said as he held his hand up and checked out the ring he wore that was nearly as big as his whole hand. “You’ll have to see me again to get it back.”

“Well, I suppose that’s true,” Adam said, biting back a smile. “But I wouldn’t know how to find you. I don’t even know your full name.”

“Oliver Neil Allen,” Ollie said immediately. “We used to live in Arkansas, but now we live in Los Angeles.”

He said the name of the city as if he was just learning how to pronounce it, but Adam barely noticed because his heart did a little flip when Ollie so casually gave him his name. Oliver Neil Allen. It couldn’t be. Could it? So lost was he in his own thoughts that Adam didn’t have time to work up a response before he heard a familiar voice from out in the hall. Ollie heard it, too, if the way his whole body perked up was any indication.

Kris Allen stepped into the waiting room, laughing at something the gentleman escorting him had said.

“Daddy!” Ollie squealed. He raced over, barreling into Kris’ legs, burying his face in them and wrapping his arms around them.

Kris gently smoothed his hand over the top of Ollie’s head, then bent down and plucked him up into his arms. He pressed his lips to the side of Ollie’s neck and blew a raspberry that had Ollie giggling and flailing his arms.

Adam saw his own ring flash as Ollie took Kris’ face between both of his tiny hands and brought his own face close to Kris’ so they were staring into each other’s eyes. “I found him, Daddy!” Ollie said, nearly breathless with excitement.

“Who’d you find?” Kris asked.

Ollie pulled back and pointed. Right at Adam. Adam felt the blood drain from his face as Kris turned to look at him.

“Adam!” Ollie said happily. “He’s not lost anymore.”

When Kris’ gaze fell on Adam he went white as a sheet and stared as if he’d seen a ghost. “Adam,” Kris said, his voice cracking.

“Kris,” Adam said, wondering if he sounded just as stunned as Kris had.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lambert, but Mr. Fuller’s waiting,” said the assistant who’d also been waiting for Adam to extricate himself from Ollie, and very patiently, at that.

“Yes, of course,” Adam replied, thankful for the interruption. He’d never thought he’d see Kris again, not with him tucked away in Arkansas, and it had been the only thing that saved his sanity those first two years. “I have to go,” he told Kris, indicating the assistant.

“Of course,” Kris said, the surprise and whatever else he’d felt in that moment hidden behind the blank mask he now wore.

Kris waited until Adam reached the door to speak his name. Adam halted and looked back over his shoulder, knowing it was a mistake even as he did it.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Kris said.

Adam wished he could blithely say the same, but seeing Kris again had opened up a door that Adam thought he’d finally managed to close forever. He nodded, not sure how he wanted Kris to take it, and left. As he fled down the hallway, Adam heard Ollie’s voice call out, “Don’t forget to find me!”

It took Adam longer than it should have to remember that Ollie still had one of his rings. Well, there was no way in hell he was going back for it now.

“Adam,” Simon Fuller greeted him, reserved, but clearly pleased to see him.

“Mr. Fuller,” Adam said as he took the other man’s extended hand. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“And you,” Fuller said. “Please have a seat.” He gestured to a cozy seating arrangement to the side of the office, rather than the chairs in front of his desk, and Adam took a seat.

“Please, call me Simon,” Fuller said as he took one of the chairs beside Adam’s. “Can I offer you anything to drink?

“Water, if it’s not too much trouble,” Adam said. His throat was a little dry after his chance encounter with Kris.

“Sparkling okay?” Fuller asked, and then requested his assistant to bring two when Adam said that it was.

“Thank you for coming in,” Fuller said.

“I was surprised to get your call,” Adam said. “But intrigued.”

“I’m glad,” Fuller said, pausing when his assistant returned with the beverages.

Fuller waited until she’d left, softly closing the door behind her, to continue. Adam took advantage of the brief pause to open the bottle of sparkling water and take a sip.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush,” Fuller said, setting his untouched bottle on a coaster at his elbow. “We’re coming up on the eighteenth season of American Idol. The numbers aren’t what they used to be, which is understandable given the age of the show and the current crop of singing competitions. We were the biggest, and I’d argue, the best, but we’re losing our edge. We’ve tried several ways of raising the numbers, new judges, a new mentoring program, getting more songs approved, revamping the voting, but we’re still sliding in the ratings. Our contract with FOX ends this year, and if we’re going to go out, I want to go out with a bang. Or maybe I’ll have hit on the way to save Idol and we won’t be going anywhere just yet.”

“What did you have in mind?” Adam said. He tried not to get too excited. His name had been bandied about each of the last half dozen years as a potential judge and nothing had ever come of it. But he’d never been asked to come in for a meeting with Simon Fuller before, either.

“Keeping I mind that this is an exploratory meeting only, I want to try something a little different this year,” Fuller said. “I know your name has come up several times when we’ve been looking for new judges, but I think you’d make a better mentor. You did a great job with the kids when you mentored during season nine. Your comments were on point, and those who listened to you did great.”

“Thank you,” Adam said.

“How did you feel about mentoring?” Fulled asked.

“I felt great about it,” Adam said. “I had fun, and as someone who had been through it before, I thought I could offer them a unique perspective.”

Fuller nodded while Adam spoke, as if that was the answer he’d been expecting. “We’ve had mentors, first guest mentors, then a permanent mentor paired with guest mentors, but I’m thinking of trying something different. You’ve been in the business now for, what, nearly ten years since you were on Idol? You’re familiar with what it takes to get an album made, get a single played on the radio, plus you have the added benefit, as an Idol alum, of having been in their shoes before. Someone like you is the best of both worlds for the kids that make it through to the top ten. And it won’t hurt our ratings to have you on the show every week. You’re one of our most loved contestants.”

“That’s . . . really kind of you to say,” Adam said, excited about the idea and moved by the compliment.

“It’s not kind,” Fuller said. “It’s fact. If you weren’t a pretty big deal, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now.” He waited for Adam to acknowledge the comment before continuing. “Now I’m going to throw a monkey wrench into the works. I want to pair you up with another musician, another Idol alum, someone I think you’d work well with.”

Fuller paused before dropping the bombshell. “Kris Allen.”

In retrospect, Adam should’ve seen that coming.

“I’m not the only one who thinks that season eight gave us one of our best top two finales ever, and if we can capture lightning in a bottle twice, I’m gonna go for it. It doesn’t hurt that the two of you are easy on the eyes, and you seemed to be on the same musical wavelength when you were on the show.”

Fuller reached for the bottle of sparkling water he’d set aside previously. He unscrewed the cap, took a sip, replaced the cap and very deliberately set the bottle back onto the coaster. Adam watched Fuller in silence. He didn’t know what _to_ say. Sure, he and Kris had connected when they’d been on Idol. Despite their obvious differences, they’d had more in common than not. But things had changed.

“Things change,” Adam finally said.

Fuller nodded. “Which is why I didn’t say anything to Kris while he was here.”

“This isn’t why Kris was here?” Adam asked.

“No. Kris was here on a separate matter,” Fuller said with a maddening vagueness. “Like I mentioned earlier, this idea is in its infancy. It’s not a requirement that you work with Kris, but I’d be hard pressed to find a better match.”

“Have you considered having me work with someone different each week?” Adam asked.

“I have,” Fuller said. “But that’s what we’ve been doing right along. We’d like to revamp the whole mentoring process, and two mentors who can share their experiences, both in the business and on the show, are what we’re looking at right now.”

“Make them all other Idol contestants,” Adam said. “You don’t have a shortage of people who have done well after Idol, and who have Idol to thank for their success. Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, Allison . . . .”

“It’s an idea,” Fuller mused. “I’ll consider it. If you’ll consider my proposal.”

Adam should’ve known there’d be a catch. “I will,” he agreed.

“Excellent.”

“Speaking of Kris,” Adam said. “Do you happen to have a number where I could reach him?”

“Planning on catching up?” Fuller said.

“Not exactly,” Adam said. He waited while Fuller contacted his assistant to ask for the number before continuing. “I met Kris’ son Ollie in the waiting room.”

“Ollie,” Fuller said, nodding. “He’s adorable, isn’t he?”

“Yes,” Adam said.

“Spitting image of his father,” Fuller added.

Adam ignored the comment rather than tell Simon Fuller that he hadn’t seen the resemblance. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to see it.

“We were talking and he was playing with my rings,” Adam said. “Kris returned just as I was leaving and Ollie was excited to see him and I ended up walking off without one of them.” He held up his hand as if Fuller would be to recognize the empty spot where the ring should’ve been.

Fuller’s assistant entered the room, moving silently, and handed him a slip of paper. Fuller glanced at it, and then thanked her. After she’d left, Fuller leaned forward and held out the paper to Adam. “Enjoy your visit.”

Adam took the slip from him. “Thank you,” he said in response to Fuller getting him the number; he didn’t think he’d enjoy his visit with Kris at all.

“And thank you for coming in.”

Adam knew a dismissal when he heard one.

Adam’s brain was spinning. When he got to his car he just sat there, keys grasped tightly in his fingers, eyes staring out the windshield at nothing. There had been times early on, when the pain was fresh and sharp, that Adam had imagined running into Kris. Adam would’ve had a pretty twink on his arm and Kris would’ve seethed with jealousy. As time passed, so did those little daydreams.

Eventually Adam had been able to think of Kris without it being a stab to the heart, and then he didn’t think of him at all. Well, didn’t think of him often, and with only a small twinge at what might’ve been.

It had been months since Adam had last thought of Kris – there would always be fans and interviewers who connected them so it was inevitable – but now he couldn’t _stop_ thinking about him. The expression on Kris’ face when he’d seen Adam again for the first time in six years, when he’d said, “It’s nice to see you again.” All the little things Ollie had said that Adam hadn’t thought anything of at the time, but which took on a new life now that he knew that Kris was the dad of whom Ollie had spoken.

And then there was Simon Fuller wanting them to work together again. How had he put it? Capture lightning in a bottle twice. Adam was pretty sure it would be impossible to capture that kind of magic a second time.

Adam checked his watch. Danielle was still at work, but his mom might be free. Working for yourself had its perks, one of those being that she might be able to put a hold on whatever she was doing to talk to Adam. Before he could second guess himself, Adam pressed the call button beside her name.

“Adam!” Leila answered Adam’s call with a smile in her voice. She also sounded breathless, as if she was in the middle of some physical exertion Adam might not want to know about. “What’s up, darling? How did your meeting go?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually,” Adam said. “But, I have to ask, even though I’m afraid of the answer, what are you doing?”

Leila laughed. “I’m on the treadmill.”

“You’re answering the phone while you’re on the treadmill?”

“I didn’t want to miss your call,” Leila said. “I’m curious what Simon Fuller wanted.”

“Can I come over?” Adam asked.

“Of course! I’ve got ten more minutes on this instrument of torture, and then I’m going to grab a quick shower. Let yourself in and make yourself at home if I’m not down yet when you get here.”

Leila was still upstairs when Adam arrived at her place. Even with the traffic, Adam wasn’t surprised that he beat her. He got a glass of water and then sat in the living room in front of the television, staring at the blank screen. Adam didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there when Leila floated into the room on the flowery scent of shower gel and shampoo.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Leila said, bending down to give Adam a kiss on the cheek. “What’s wrong?” she asked when she got a good look at his face.

“I saw Kris today,” Adam said. He hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but it was the only thought in his head, playing on repeat like a broken record, _I saw Kris, I saw Kris, I saw Kris_.

Leila pulled back in her surprise. “Kris?” she said. “Kris Allen?”

“Yes,” Adam said. “He was at Simon Fuller’s office on a different matter. I ran into him in the waiting room.”

“Did you talk?”

“No,” Adam said. “We didn’t really have the chance.” And Adam wasn’t sure if he’d have taken advantage of it if they had had. “He was just coming out of a meeting, I was going in . . . . I met his son, though.”

Leila’s eyes went wide. “His son, really? What was he like?”

“Pretty cute, actually,” Adam admitted, smiling a little at the memory of Ollie trying to convince Adam to take up his cause with respect to getting his ears pierced before he was sixteen, which was *forever*, he’d informed Adam dramatically before collapsing onto the chair next to him with a huge, put upon sigh. “He admired my nail polish and my rings,” he told his mother, remembering anew that Ollie still had one of said rings. “He told me that he likes to sing ‘Trespassing’,” Adam added just so he could see his mom’s eyebrows go up. “He apparently agrees with the message. And likes to say ‘ass’.”

Leila laughed. “Of course he does. How old is he?”

“I don’t know,” Adam said, as if the day he’d found out that Katy was pregnant wasn’t burned into his brain. “He has to be close to five now, I guess.”

“Was . . . Katy there?” Leila asked hesitantly.

“No,” Adam said. “Ollie was there with his nanny, a woman named Zoe. She seemed nice enough. Jesus!” he added with a shudder. “Could you imagine the two of us in the same room? Talk about awkward.”

Leila patted Adam’s knee in commiseration.

“I didn’t even realize he was Kris’ son, at first,” Adam said.

“Why would you have?” Leila said reasonably.

Adam shrugged. It just seemed like he should’ve seen the resemblance, feel a connection with the boy because of the connection he’d once shared with his father.

Leila took Adam’s hand and squeezed. “Can you tell me about your meeting?”

Adam was grateful for the change of subject. Talking about Kris, thinking about him, was just too confusing.

“It had to do with Idol, as we suspected,” Adam said.

“Do they want you to be a judge next year?”

“Simon Fuller emphasized the ‘exploratory stage’ of the idea he broached, and asked me what I thought about being the permanent mentor, given my experience in the business since Idol, as well as on the show.”

“You’d be perfect for that!” Leila said. “And I’m not just saying that as your mother. You did a great job that one time when you were the guest mentor.”

“I think it could be fun,” Adam admitted. “And I’d much rather help the contestants do their best than tell them how they failed.”

“Oh my gosh,” Leila said with excitement. “You’d be so good at that.”

“I think so, too,” Adam said. “There’s just one catch.”

Leila frowned. “What?”

“He wants me to work with someone else. Like, team mentor.”

“Who does he have in mind?” Leila asked suspiciously.

“Kris,” Adam said.

“That’s . . . unexpected,” Leila said.

Adam snorted a laugh. “Yeah, tell me about it.” A dream job offer that forced him to be in close contact with Kris again. It was like his own personal version of hell.

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Adam said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I’d be a fool to turn it down. Plus, I shouldn’t let my personal life interfere with business decisions. Besides, I should be over him by now anyway, right?”

“Oh, honey,” Leila said. “It’s not always that simple.”

Adam sighed. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

Kris was the only thing Adam could think about the rest of that afternoon and evening. He talked to Danielle, who brought over Margarita fixings, and Brad, who laughed his ass off at Adam’s tragic love life.

“You met Kris’ son and bonded with him,” Danielle said, counting off on her fingers. “You ran into Kris again. And you got a job offer that would entail working with Kris. The universe is clearly trying to tell you something.”

“You’ve been given a second chance,” Brad said, his words eerily mirroring Danielle’s from earlier. “It dropped right into your lap. And, yeah, maybe it’ll blow up spectacularly in your face, but you’ll never know until you try.”

“I hate you,” Adam said. “And what makes you think I even _want_ to try?”

Brad laughed so hard that Adam hung up on him.

The next morning, Adam decided that he couldn’t put it off. Even if he didn’t care about getting his ring back, he did need to talk to Kris. If only because of the offer Simon Fuller had dangled in front of Adam yesterday. Kris didn’t know about it yet, if Simon Fuller was telling the truth, but unless he wanted to dismiss the idea out of hand, and maybe lose the opportunity along with it, Adam needed to find out if there was any way he and Kris could work together.

Adam took the slip of paper with Kris’ cell number on it out of his wallet. He started to dial the number, then decided it was too early to bother Kris, especially with a young child to take care of. So he took a shower and spent an unnecessary amount of time on his hair. And his make-up. And then he decided to eat breakfast before calling.

When Adam had washed the dishes he’d dirtied instead of rinsing them and leaving them in the sink, and was contemplating re-doing his nails, he knew he’d put off making the call long enough. Adam dialed the number with a shaking hand and listened to it ring. He huffed a humorless laugh when his call went to voice mail.

Adam hadn’t really known what he was going to say when Kris answered, and having to leave a message threw him even more. He said something about Ollie and his ring and wondering if they could talk, and then hung up feeling like the biggest idiot.

Adam puttered around the house for the next half hour until he realized that he was going to drive himself crazy if he just stayed home and waited for Kris to return his call, wondering the entire time if maybe Kris wouldn’t return it. Since he’d spent so much time on his hair and make-up earlier in an effort to avoid calling Kris, Adam was ready to go out. He grabbed his leather jacket, made sure he had his wallet, phone, and keys, and headed out.

Adam didn’t have a destination in mind when he left, just thought he’d drive around for a little while until inspiration struck. He liked driving in his car with the sun roof open and the music playing loudly. Adam found himself near a couple of shops he liked, so he found a parking spot and went inside to see if they had anything new in stock. When he found himself gravitating to the children’s section, Adam decided it was time to get out of there.

Since he was near one of his favorite smoothie places, Adam went in for one. Once he had the ice cold smoothie in hand he decided to wander the street and window shop. It wasn’t often he got to do this, but so far the paps hadn’t realized he was there. For that reason alone Adam decided it was necessary for him to take advantage of the nice day.

Adam was contemplating a pair of boots in a shop window when his phone rang. He almost dropped both the phone and smoothie when Kris’ name popped up on the screen. Adam juggled both until he managed to slide his thumb across the screen to accept the call and brought the phone to his ear.

“Adam?” Kris said, as if he’d said it more than once.

“Yes, hi, sorry,” Adam said breathlessly.

“Where are you?” Kris said, and Adam could hear the smile in his voice.

“Would you believe I’m at the gym?”

“I wouldn’t _not_ believe it,” Kris said, “but somehow I think there’s a more interesting story there somewhere. Am I, uh, interrupting anything?” he asked, suddenly sounding hesitant.

“What would you . . . oh my god, no!” Adam said, realizing what Kris thought he might be interrupting. “And if you were, I’d like to think it wouldn’t be such a bad experience that I’d be checking my phone in the middle.”

Kris gave an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry.”

“I’m drinking a completely unhealthy fruit smoothie and checking out a pair of boots,” Adam admitted.

“Now that I would believe,” Kris said with a husky chuckle that tickled along Adam’s spine.

“So,” Kris said when Adam didn’t reply (because he _couldn’t_ , but Adam thought it would be far worse to tell Kris that). “What can I do for you?”

“It’s a little embarrassing,” Adam began.

“Really?” Kris said. “Let me sit down so I can fully enjoy it, then.”

“Not that kind of embarrassing,” Adam said dryly. “I think your idea of what I was doing when I answered the phone was embarrassing enough for one conversation.”

Kris laughed. God, how Adam had missed the sound of it.

“Well, I’ll try not to be too disappointed,” Kris said. “What is it?”

“I may have misplaced one of my rings,” Adam said.

“Ah,” Kris said. “Misplaced. Is that what they’re calling it these days? Would that be the ring Ollie wore home yesterday and claimed he’d ‘found’?”

“Maybe?” Adam said.

“Did he steal it?” Kris asked, worry in his voice.

“No! No, no, no!” Adam said. “He was playing with them and he got distracted when you came back.” Adam hoped Kris didn’t catch the implication that he’d also been distracted, or else he’d have remembered to get the ring back himself. “Plus, I think he might’ve been working the angle where, if he had my ring I’d have to come see him again.”

“Oh my god,” Kris said. He sighed. “My son is a shameless flirt. _Shameless_. I’m really sorry.”

“I don’t mind, really,” Adam said. “So, I was wondering if I could come over to see Ollie and ransom my ring.”

Kris huffed a laugh.

“And I thought maybe we could talk,” Adam added, holding his breath.

“Yeah, that, I’d like that,” Kris said. “We’re gonna be home all afternoon if you’d like to come over now. I mean, if you’re not busy.”

“I don’t want to put you out,” Adam said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kris said. “We’d love to see you. One of us more than the other, apparently,” he added wryly. “I never thought about taking your jewelry hostage.”

Adam very nearly reminded Kris that he wasn’t the one who’d needed to have anything held hostage back then, but he didn’t want to end their conversation on that note. Even though it was something that would have to be addressed at some point if they were going to rebuild a friendship and possibly be able to work together.

“Besides,” Kris said, voice tight, as if he sensed the tension coiled inside Adam, “I’ll be saving you from having to find room in your closet for another pair of boots.”

“My closet thanks you,” Adam said, going along with Kris’ forced cheerfulness.

Adam got Kris’ address. He thought he sort of knew where it was, but was thankful for his GPS all the same.

“Now I just need to find my car,” Adam said.

“You lost your car?” Kris said.

“I didn’t _lose_ it,” Adam said. “I just . . . wandered away from it.”

Adam disconnected the call on Kris’ laughter.

The house Kris was staying at was huge. “Wow,” Adam said when Kris opened the door to let him in.

“I know,” Kris said with a grimace. “It’s not exactly my style, but the rent was low and, more importantly, it was available immediately, so . . . .” He shrugged. “If we end up staying I’ll look for something . . . .”

“Smaller?”

“Less pretentious,” Kris said, and they shared a smile that almost made Adam forget his nerves.

A shout from the back of the house drew their attention.

“And it had a pool,” Kris said.

For the first time since he’d arrived, Adam took in Kris’ attire – a tank top, a pair of shorts, and bare feet. He tried not to stare, but it was a close thing.

“Are you ready?”

For a moment Adam had no idea what Kris was talking about.

“I didn’t tell Ollie you were coming because he’d have been too excited.”

A faint blush tinged Kris’ skin, but Adam didn’t allow himself to think that Kris might’ve been looking forward to the visit himself.

“Prepare yourself,” Kris said as he led Adam through the massive hallway to the patio at the back of the house, where Ollie was splashing in the pool and yelling to Zoe to, “Watch me!”

“Ollie,” Kris said, then raised his voice to be heard above the splashing. “Oliver! We have company,” he said in his normal tone once he had Ollie’s attention.

Ollie’s jaw dropped when he saw Adam standing there and, despite the swimmies on his upper arms, started to sink. Ollie caught himself and paddled over to the side of the pool, saying things like, “You’re here! Daddy, he came!” though most of his words were lost in the slapping of his arms against the water.

Ollie pulled himself out of the pool and, leaving a pool of water in his wake, hurried towards Adam. Adam braced for the impact, but Kris corralled Ollie before he reached Adam.

“Adam doesn’t want to be your towel,” Kris said as he wrapped Ollie in an actual beach towel that was decorated with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Adam hated himself for knowing that.

“Also, what’s the first rule?”

“No running,” Ollie said with a put upon sigh, giving Adam a look that said he thought it was a ridiculous rule.

Adam bit his lip to hide a smile.

“Okay,” Kris said when he was satisfied that Ollie had been dried off as well as possible, given that he was still wearing his wet swim suit.

Ollie practically skipped over to Adam, more shy now that his spur of the moment greeting had been derailed. He pulled his arms in against himself as if he was cold and smiled up at Adam, then frowned when he noticed that Adam was dressed in jeans and a jacket.

“Did you bring your swim suit?” Ollie asked.

“Uh, no,” Adam said. “I didn’t think to.”

“But it’s hot out. You should carry one with you just in case,” Ollie said in all seriousness.

“I should do that,” Adam gravely agreed.

Ollie seemed appeased by that. “Wanna watch _me_ swim?” he asked.

“I would love to watch you swim,” Adam said.

“Okay!” Ollie said, and immediately ran and jumped into the pool, executing a cannonball to which Adam would have to assign a 9 1/2.

“Oliver Neil Allen!” Kris said.

Adam couldn’t help smiling as water dripped off Kris’ nose, even though he’d gotten hit by the impressive splash as well.

“No running! I apologize for this hooligan,” Kris said to Adam, shaking the water off his arms, but not bothering to reach for a towel. He’d dry off soon enough in the California heat.

“It’s fine,” Adam said. He took off his jacket and hung it over the back of the nearest chair. “I’ve had worse spilled on me.”

“Kris,” Zoe said. “I’m going to go in and check on lunch.”

Adam had seen Zoe sitting off to the side of the patio keeping an eye on Ollie, but Ollie (and Kris, if he was being honest) had absorbed all of his attention.

“Okay,” Kris told her. “Uh, I don’t think you two have met.”

“Not officially,” Adam said, holding out his hand. Zoe took it with a smile.

“Zoe Brooks, Ollie’s nanny and my lifesaver, Adam Lambert.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Zoe said.

“You, too,” Adam told her before releasing her hand.

“You’re welcome to stay for lunch,” Kris said, the invitation nearly lost in Ollie’s, “Watch me, Adam! Look how long I can hold my breath!”

Ollie ducked his face into the water for about three seconds, and then raised a dripping head and grinned proudly at Adam. Adam clapped and said something he hoped was encouraging. If Ollie’s, “Count this time!” was any indication, it was.

“I don’t want to intrude,” Adam told Kris as he counted silently in his head.

“How many?” Ollie asked when he came back up, water dripping down his face. He brought a hand up and wiped the water out of his eyes.

“Four,” Adam said. He might have counted a beat faster than he normally would have. Kris gave Adam a look that told him he’d been caught out.

“I can do longer!” Ollie said, dunking his face before he’d finished talking and immediately coming back up sputtering.

“Don’t try to talk underwater,” Kris said evenly, seemingly unconcerned, though Adam could see the tenseness in his shoulders that said he was prepared to dive in to rescue Ollie if he needed it.

“I’m alright!” Ollie said, brushing water off his face. “Count!” he demanded of Adam.

“It’s just macaroni and cheese,” Kris said, his gaze glued to the pool.

Pasta and cheese were two of Adam’s weaknesses, as his hips could attest. “Unfair,” he said, holding up four fingers when Ollie resurfaced.

Kris grinned, as if he’d known what Adam’s response would be. “If it makes you feel any better, we’re having broccoli, too.”

Kris kept his gaze on the pool a little longer, until he was satisfied that Ollie wasn’t going to drown showing off for Adam. He turned to Adam and gestured towards a chair. “Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

Kris sat on the edge of the pool and dangled his legs in the water. Adam chose a lounge chair close enough that they could talk without yelling and watched Ollie swim over and cling to Kris’ legs and hang off of them like a monkey. After only a couple minutes, Adam removed his boots and socks, setting them under the lounge to keep them safe from Ollie’s exuberance. Adam wiggled his toes, which were happy to be free.

Adam closed his eyes and listened to the splash of the water against the side of the pool, to the soft murmur of Kris’ and Ollie’s voices. Adam’s eyes snapped open when a soft spray of water hit him. Ollie stood beside the lounge, grinning and looking entirely too pleased with himself. He went to shake his head again, to spray Adam with the water in his hair, so Adam grabbed him and wrestled a giggling and squirming Ollie into his lap.

Adam rubbed a hand over Ollie’s head, pushing his hair back and squeezing the remaining water out of it before Ollie could get him with it again. Ollie laughed up at Adam, and that’s when he saw it. Kris’ eyes set in that tiny face.

“What are you looking at?” Ollie asked, squinting up at Adam.

“Your eyelashes,” Adam fibbed. “I noticed how long they were yesterday, and I’m a little bit jealous.”

Ollie smiled and scrambled off Adam’s lap while he was still distracted, going over to Kris so he could help him remove the swimmies.

“Lunch is ready,” Kris told Adam over Ollie’s head.

Adam nodded and swung his legs over the side of the lounge, pretending he didn’t see the expression on Kris’ face when he’d been struck by the resemblance between father and son. He stood and followed Kris into the house, thinking that this was a Very Bad Idea.

Adam had grown accustomed to writing with other artists – he liked the give and take of it, working off of their ideas as much as his own – but he tried to set aside a couple of hours on the days he didn’t have a writing session scheduled to do a little writing on his own to keep in practice. Sometimes the bits he wrote were complete and utter crap, never to see the light of day. Other times Adam was pleased with them enough to take them to his sessions where they might be used to create a song.

Today Adam was having no luck. All he could think about was Kris. They hadn’t had a chance to talk yesterday, not the way they needed to talk if they wanted to repair their relationship. Adam wasn’t sure they could get back to what they had, didn’t know if he even wanted to open that can of worms, but maybe they could start over, see where they could go from where they’d ended up.

Adam had, well, not quite _forgiven_ Kris for giving up on them, but when he thought about what might’ve been, the memories were tinged with sadness, but not the sharp stab of hurt he’d felt the first couple of years. And yet, now that he’d seen Kris again, entertained the idea of seeing if they could salvage a friendship out of the train wreck of their failed relationship, it was as if the floodgates on Adam’s emotions had opened up.

When Adam’s cell rang he snatched it up eagerly, grateful for the interruption. He hesitated only a second when he saw Kris’ name on the screen.

“Kris, hi.”

“Adam,” Kris said. “Um, hi.”

“What’s up?” Adam said, smiling. Less because he was glad to know that this whole talking to each other again thing was just as difficult for Kris as it was for him, than the fact that he could perfectly imagine the expression on Kris’ face at that moment – a mix of uncertainty and determination.

“I was wondering, we didn’t really have a chance to talk yesterday, and you said you wanted to.”

“Yes,” Adam said, butterflies taking flight in his belly.

They hadn’t been able to talk about anything serious yesterday because Ollie had been too excited over Adam’s visit to go down for his nap, much less go further from Adam’s side than it took to show Adam how he’d learned to do the doggie paddle.

“Zoe took Ollie to the park,” Kris went on. “I wondered if I could come over. Or you could come over if you preferred. Or I could, you know, shut up,” Kris added with a self-deprecating chuckle.

“You can come over,” Adam said, doing a quick inventory of the condo. The lady who cleaned for him had come in a couple of days ago and Adam had done nothing to mess it up in the meantime. “Do you need directions?”

“Um, no?” Kris said. “I might already be parked in the lot?”

Adam rubbed his belly, trying to settle the butterflies. “How did you . . . ? Never mind, come on up. Do you know the number?”

Kris didn’t, so Adam gave it to him and then did a quick pass through the living room and ducked his head into the guest bath just to make sure he hadn’t left out something embarrassing. He had just enough time to get nervous before the doorbell rang.

Kris appeared just as anxious as Adam felt. He wiped his palms on his jeans, and then sipped at the glass of water he accepted from Adam as if his throat was parched and would never be wet again. When Adam led him to the living room, Kris stood and stared at the furniture as if he couldn’t figure out what purpose it served before shaking himself out of it and taking a seat.

Adam sat near Kris – close enough to carry on a conversation without making either of them feel uncomfortable. He waited to see if Kris would take the lead with the talk they needed to have, since he’d driven over to Adam’s condo to facilitate it. Adam opened his mouth to say something, anything, when Kris finally spoke.

“So,” Kris said. “This is . . . just as difficult as I thought it would be.” He gave a humorless chuckle. “I missed you,” he said, blurting out the words as if he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to say them otherwise. “I know that . . . that was my fault, but I missed you,” he repeated.

“I missed you, too,” Adam said, the words escaping before he could close his mouth against them, but he wasn’t sure Kris even heard him.

“And it wasn’t even the sex,” Kris said, blushing. “Well, not just the sex,” he corrected. “Or the cuddling. Okay, no, I really missed the cuddling. But, what I’m trying to say is that I missed talking to you, and hanging out with you. I missed sharing music, and watching movies, and talking about our songs.”

Kris finished and took a few breaths. “I want, I want us to be friends again. I don’t know if it’s too soon for that. Or too late. But that’s what I want.”

“Okay,” Adam said, and Kris looked at him with such hope in his eyes. “I don’t know if we can do it, but I’d like to try.”

Kris smiled, and Adam knew he was lost.

~*~

They didn’t see each other for almost a week after that conversation, but they texted daily. Kris had told Adam that he was putting together another album and during the week he sent Adam some songs to listen to and give his opinion of. (It was difficult for Adam to hear a couple of them because they said all the things that Kris and Adam still hadn’t talked about yet.) Ollie called and asked when Adam was coming to see him again.

Adam did some song writing and had brunch with his mom. He watched movies with Danielle and went to a club with Brad and his current beau. And yet he felt like something was missing.

One afternoon, when both he and Kris were free, Adam picked up pizza and went over. Ollie didn’t even try to hide how happy he was to see Adam again. Or maybe it was the pizza. But probably Adam.

Kris’ welcome was just slightly less joyous, but the smile he gave Adam when Adam appeared carrying the pizza and dragging Ollie along on his foot made Adam’s heart do a little flip in his chest. He reminded himself that they were working on a friendship, and that Adam getting any other idea would only complicate things.

~*~

One day Kris was still on a conference call when Adam arrived, so he and Ollie watched a movie that Ollie picked out. Kris got a strange look on his face when he came in to the living room and saw them sitting snuggled up against each other on the couch. It was gone before Adam could figure out what it meant.

~*~

“I’m sorry,” Kris said during another visit.

They’d gone to the park where Ollie had run around like a little monkey, so he had gone down for his nap without argument. (Adam couldn’t lie, he sort of wanted to join him. Playing was _exhausting_.)

“I don’t know if you care anymore, or if you need to hear it as much as I need to say it, but I am sorry. Sorry that I didn’t have the courage to take what I wanted . . . .”

The expression on Kris’ face told Adam exactly what – who – he’d wanted.

“Sorry I didn’t just . . . get out. Of my marriage. Of Arkansas.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Adam said, putting voice to the sentiment he’d thought so many times before. “I shouldn’t have . . . .” _let them have you_ “. . . given up on us.”

The look Kris gave Adam then, grateful for his understanding, made Adam feel almost guilty. He hadn’t always understood, and there were times he still didn’t. Times he wanted to yell at Kris, demanding to know how he could’ve done it, let what they’d had just slip away like that.

As much as he hated it, though, Adam knew the answer to that question. Kris had allowed it because of who he was. As much as Adam had wanted to rail against their fate, that was the same person Adam had fallen in love with. That he could both love and hate the same person because of who they were with equal measure still surprised him sometimes.

~*~

“Can I ask about Katy?” Adam asked one evening.

Ollie was in bed, and it had taken Adam a couple drinks to work up to the question.

Kris’ face did this thing where he was uncomfortable, or embarrassed, or both. “What about her?”

“Is she . . . ?” Alive? Still in Ollie’s life? “You guys don’t talk about her,” Adam said. “Ollie told me once, the day we met, that she was gone . . . .”

“Ollie said that?” Kris said.

“In his defense,” Adam said, “I’d just misidentified Zoe as his mother and he was correcting me.”

The corners of Kris’ lips twitched, almost of their own volition. “I’m sure he did. Katy’s not dead,” Kris said. “If that’s what you’re asking.”

Adam almost wished that she was, but caught himself before he sent bad karma out into the universe.

“She got tired of living with someone who didn’t love her the way she thought I ought to, and every time she looked at Ollie it reminded her how badly her plan to, well, how badly her plan had failed. I guess I wasn’t worth fighting for when there wasn’t someone to fight against,” Kris said with a wry smile.

Before Adam could think of a response, Kris finished his beer and went for another. When he returned, Kris didn’t sit down. He stood and stared out over the pool to the landscaped backyard where Ollie had made Adam play hide and seek one day while Kris looked on and laughed.

“I can still kick her ass,” Adam said, and Kris barked out a surprised laugh.

“That won’t be necessary,” Kris said. “Though I appreciate the offer.”

Adam shrugged. “It’s a standing offer if you change your mind.”

“She didn’t break my heart when she left, you know,” Kris said, ducking his head and looking away from Adam. “Just drove home what bad decisions I’d made. I only felt bad because of Ollie, but by the time she left physically, she’d already checked out emotionally.”

“She never could stick with a hobby,” Adam said bitterly, then realized what he’d said, and to whom. “Wow, that was . . . .”

“Bitchy?” Kris supplied.

Adam held up his hand, index finger and thumb close together. “A little bit.”

“I can’t lie,” Kris said. “It’s nice to have someone in my corner.”

“I was always in your corner,” Adam said.

“I know,” Kris said.

“Ollie wants you to come to his birthday party,” Kris said.

“O-kay,” Adam said slowly.

“I’m just giving you a heads up in case you don’t want to come and need to think up an excuse.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to come?”

“It’s a children’s birthday party,” Kris said.

“I’ve been to children’s birthday parties before,” Adam said.

“And my parents are going to be there.”

“Oh,” Adam said.

Adam truly liked Kim and Neil. They were genuine people and they’d been kind to him when he and Kris were on Idol together. They’d disagreed strenuously about what would’ve made Kris happy years ago, but he couldn’t deny that they’d had Kris’ best interests, as they saw them, anyway, at heart. He also couldn’t deny that he’d blamed them for a long time, almost as much as he’d blamed himself and Kris. In those days, there had been plenty of blame to go around.

“Do they know we’re . . . .” _friends again_ “. . . hanging out?”

“Yes,” Kris said. “I told them, and even if I hadn’t, Ollie’s all ‘Adam this’, and ‘Adam that’ when he talks to them.”

Adam couldn’t help the happiness that swelled his heart at hearing that. “They must love that,” he said wryly. “Sorry?”

“You’re totally not sorry,” Kris said with a smile.

“Just tell me when and I’ll be there,” Adam said instead of responding to Kris’ comment. He wasn’t admitting to anything.

Kris gave Adam the date and time, and Adam added the party to the calendar on his phone.

“And you’ll need to give me some ideas for what to get him.”

“You don’t have to bring a gift,” Kris protested.

“Uncle Adam is not showing up without a gift, are you kidding me right now?” Adam said.

Adam caught the look that flashed across Kris’ face. “What?”

Kris shook his head. “Uncle Adam better not go overboard. You spoil him.”

“I do no such thing,” Adam denied, crossing his fingers behind his back. He was totally going to spoil him.

“I hate to break this pretty good mood we’ve got going on here,” Adam said. “But I need to tell you something.”

Adam had put it off as long as he could, probably too long.

“What is it?” Kris said, face gone serious.

“That day we met at Simon Fuller’s office?”

“Yeah?”

“He wanted to meet with me about a potential job offer.”

“What kind of job?”

“Mentor,” Adam said. “On Idol next year.”

Kris smiled. “Why so serious? That’s awesome! That would be perfect for you.”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “I think so, too. There was a catch, though. He wanted me to work with someone, like, we’d be the mentor team.”

“Who’d he want you to work with?”

Adam took a deep breath. “You.”

“Me?” Kris said, surprised. “Why me?”

“A bunch of reasons,” Adam said, remembering Fuller’s comment about lightning in a bottle. “Our camaraderie during Idol, he thought we’d work well together and bring in more viewers.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” Kris said.

“Because the day he asked me, I wasn’t sure if we could work together after . . . everything.”

“And now?” Kris said, sounding a little bit angry.

“Now,” Adam said carefully, not wanting to misstep. “I think we’ve reached a point in our . . . ever evolving relationship, friendship, where we could work together without killing each other.”

“Is that the reason you . . . ?”

“No!” Adam quickly said. “That, the ring, they were both excuses, though. I kept telling myself I’d be a fool to still want . . . so it was easier if I let myself believe that seeing you again had nothing to do with, well, with how much I wanted to see you again.”

Kris nodded. “What are you going to do? About the job?”

“I’d be a fool to turn it down,” Adam said. “Although Fuller was very clear that the idea was only in the ‘exploratory stages’. But I know you’re working on an album, you’re going to have promo, touring, I don’t want you to accept the offer, if it ever gets to that point, just because of me.”

“Maybe it would be good for me, too,” Kris said archly.

“Maybe it would.”

“And maybe I wouldn’t mind working with you.”

Adam smiled. “I wouldn’t mind working with you, either.”

“I love my parents,” Kris said when Adam opened the door and let him in.

“Okay.” Adam peeked into the hallway for potential stragglers before closing the door. “Where are they?”

“Home,” Kris said. “I left them bonding with Ollie while I ran errands.”

Adam bit back a smile. “And these errands consist of?”

“Beer run,” Kris said, raising the reusable grocery bag he’d carried in.

Kris handed Adam a second bag as he led the way to the kitchen. Adam peeked into the bag as he followed Kris – a bottle of wine and a frozen Margarita drink mix.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d be in the mood for,” Kris said as he took a bottle out of the six pack and put the rest in the fridge.

“I should be drinking water,” Adam said, though he’d already decided on the wine.

“Please,” Kris scoffed. He popped the cap and tossed it into the garbage. “I think you say things like that just so people will tell you what a great ass you have.” Kris took a long drink from the bottle. “Balcony?” he said, seemingly unaware that he’d just shifted the ground on which Adam stood.

“Yeah,” Adam said. It took him a few seconds to gather himself and pour a glass of wine after storing the mix in the freezer.

When Adam joined him on the balcony, Kris sat on one of the lounge chairs, eyes closed, bottle dangling from loose fingers. “I know they mean well.”

Adam’s heart jolted. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kris made a sound that Adam interpreted in the affirmative.

“Are they trying to talk you into going back to Arkansas?”

“Not directly,” Kris said. “Is the writing going better in LA? Isn’t this house too big for just the two of you? Have you looked for a place to buy? The cost of living is so high here. Ollie starts school this fall, do you really want him going to school in LA?” Kris groaned and took another sip of the beer.

“Are you . . . thinking of going back?” Adam asked, almost afraid to voice the question.

“No,” Kris said. “No,” he said again, looking at Adam. “I know they miss me, miss Ollie.” Kris sighed. “But that’s what planes are for, right?”

“So they can stay for a week and annoy you,” Adam said gravely.

Kris laughed. He held his bottle out so they could clink rims.

Adam nursed his glass of wine and let Kris drink three of the beers he’d brought. When Kris finally began making sounds about heading home, Adam offered to drive him.

“You don’t have to do that,” Kris said.

Adam plucked the keys out of Kris’ fingers. “I really do.”

When they got to the house, Kris insisted that Adam come in for a couple of minutes. “It’s bad enough that you’re taking a cab home,” Kris said. “I’m not going to have you waiting for it on the street. Besides, you can say hello to my parents before the party,” Kris added with a smirk.

“Oh, sure, share your pain,” Adam said, wondering for a moment if he’d put his foot in it before Kris barked out a laugh.

“Exactly! Plus, Ollie would never forgive me if I didn’t make you come in so he could see you.”

Adam didn’t really need much convincing. He’d planned on giving Kris space so he could spend time with his parents, but he couldn’t deny that he’d missed them both.

“Daddy!” Ollie called out when he saw Kris.

Kris picked Ollie up and gave him a cuddle even though Ollie had just scrambled out of the pool and was soaking wet.

“Adam!”

Ollie reached for Adam and he took him out of Kris’ arms to give him a squeeze despite Kris’ quiet, “He’s wet.”

“Did you bring your suit?” Ollie demanded.

“No,” Adam said. “I can’t stay. I just wanted to say hi.”

“Hi,” Ollie said.

“Hi,” Adam said back, and they both giggled.

Adam set Ollie down when he squirmed. “Neil, Kim,” he said. “It’s nice to see you both again. I know Kris and Ollie have been looking forward to your visit.”

Neil, who’d been in the pool with Ollie, came over to shake Adam’s hand with the hand not holding the towel. “You’re looking well, Adam.”

“Thank you,” Adam said. “You, too.”

“Adam, dear,” Kim said. Adam didn’t sense any reservations in her tone, or the kiss she pressed to his cheek, but he didn’t miss the speculative glance she tossed between Adam and Kris.

“It’s past your nap time,” Kris informed Ollie.

“But I’m not tired,” Ollie insisted.

“I am,” Neil said.

Ollie laughed as if that was the funniest thing ever. “Grandpa says I have too much energy.”

“Grandpa is not wrong,” Kris said.

Just then the doorbell rang. Ollie’s eyes went comically wide.

“More company?”

“That’s probably my ride,” Adam said.

Ollie skipped along at Kris’ side when he went to answer the door. Adam wanted to follow them, but he thought it would be rude to leave Kim and Neil.

“Pocket Idol!” Adam heard Brad exclaim when Kris opened the door.

“Oh god,” Kris said before he was enveloped in a hug.

“Long time, no see, precious,” Brad said. “You’re looking good. And who’s this little mini-me?”

“I’m Ollie,” Ollie said. “Who are you?”

“Ollie,” Kris said with a slight warning in his tone. “Don’t be rude.”

“I’m not being rude,” Ollie denied. “I just wanna know.”

“Of course you do,” Braid said, going to his knees so he was closer to Ollie’s height. “Because I am _fabulous_.”

Ollie giggled, but he took the hand Brad held out.

“I’m Brad, a friend of Adam’s. I even knew your dad back when he lived in LA before.”

“You did?” Ollie said, intrigued.

“I did. Where have you hidden, Adam, by the way? I don’t see him.”

“I didn’t hide him!” Ollie said. “He’s right there by the pool with Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Oh!” Brad said as he rose to his feet. “Mama and Papa Pocket Idol!”

“Oh god,” Adam said. “I apologize in advance . . . .”

Brad was there before Adam could finish. “No hogging the Allens all to yourself,” Brad said and proceeded to give both Neil and Kim a hug.

By then Kris had reached Adam’s side and he watched the greeting with a bemused smile. Ollie was also watching Brad, but for a completely different reason.

“Daddy, what’s he wearing?”

“Uh, leopard print leggings,” Kris admitted.

“Can I . . . ?”

“No,” Kris said. “Not until you’re at least six.”

Ollie giggled.

The birthday party went well. Or, as well as could be expected when Adam was in a room full of Kris’ family who’d done their best to convince Kris that Adam was bad for him. Adam took a deep breath and tuned back in to what Daniel was saying. Daniel and Audra had flow in for the weekend, and Ollie was having a great time playing with his cousins.

Kris lured the kids out of the pool with the promise of pizza, which was followed by cake and ice cream. Adam held his breath when Kris declared it time to open presents, though he couldn’t help smiling at Ollie’s excitement. Adam watched Ollie’s reactions as he opened gift after gift – games and books, toys and clothes – and wondered again if he’d done the right thing with the gifts he’d gotten Ollie.

Adam wasn’t worried on his own behalf, he could handle the disapproval, if there was any. He just didn’t want Ollie to have to deal with it, especially from people who meant the world to him. Adam had spoken to Kris about his concerns and left it up to him whether to wait to give Ollie his gifts from Adam, or at least part of it. Adam wasn’t certain what Kris had decided until all the other presents were opened and Kris produced the bag Adam had decorated with Ollie’s name spelled out in glitter.

“Guess who this is from?” Kris said.

“Adam!” Ollie said, holding out his hand for it.

“What gave it away?” Adam said wryly.

There were several individually wrapped packages in the bag and Adam pointed to one. “Open this one first.”

Ollie tore into the wrapping paper without any more encouragement. His eyes went wide and his mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ when he saw what was inside the package. He glanced at Kris as if he thought he might tell him he couldn’t keep it.

“You didn’t,” Kris said, his tone saying just the opposite.

“You said he couldn’t have the leggings until he was six. These are shorts,” Adam pointed out.

“So they are,” Kris said.

Kim giggled. Adam thought she might be tipsy.

“Can I see them?” Kris asked.

Ollie clutched the shorts to his chest. “You’re not going to take them away, are you?”

“I’m not going to take them away,” Kris promised.

“Which one next?” Ollie asked Adam while Kris examined the leopard print spandex shorts.

Adam pointed, and Ollie ripped into the wrapping. Temporary tattoos that Adam had been picking up for weeks whenever he saw something interesting. Next was a braided bracelet, the beads spelling out O-L-L-I-E, which Ollie made Adam tie around his wrist immediately.

Next up was the first gift Adam had been concerned about. He held his breath as Ollie ripped the paper off. Ollie’s hands shook when he finally held the treasure in them. He looked at Adam, eyes bright, a mouth that usually ran a mile a minute unable to form words.

“What is it?” Shannon, Daniel and Audra’s eldest, asked.

“Nail polish,” Kim said. “I think that’s what it is, anyway. Ollie’s holding it too close to see.”

“Nail polish is for girls,” Shannon scoffed.

Ollie snapped out of his trance. “No it’s not! Is it daddy?” he asked Kris.

“Absolutely not,” Kris said. “You can do my nails later, when things have settled down.”

“Okay,” Ollie said, appeased. “And Adam can do my nails.”

“I want mine done, too,” three year old Andrew demanded.

“Okay, but later,” Ollie said imperiously, then he held out the small basket so Andrew could see inside it. “What color do you want?”

“There’s one more,” Kris reminded Ollie, who looked torn between giving up possession of the nail polish to open his last present. “You can open it later, if you want,” Kris said.

“No, I’ll open it now,” Ollie told Kris as he deposited the basket of polish into Adam’s hands for safekeeping.

Ollie tore into the wrapping paper and Adam held his breath. When Ollie got a glimpse of what lay beneath the paper he gave Adam a smile, and then attacked the paper with even more determination. Kris caught the paper that Ollie tossed away and stuffed it into the trash bag along with the remains of all the other wrapping paper.

“Can I open it now?” Ollie asked his dad.

“Sure,” Kris said, and then helped Ollie get the box open.

Ollie took the box back because, “I can do it myself,” and set out all the plates and cups (they were purple, because that was Ollie’s favorite color), along with the teapot, the miniature cream and sugar dishes, and the various plastic desserts that came with the tea set.

“Who wants tea?” Ollie asked, looking right at Adam.

“I’d love a cup of tea, thank you,” Adam said.

“I want one!” Shannon said.

“Dad?” Ollie said, ignoring her. Probably for dissing his new nail polish earlier.

“I’ll share with Adam,” Kris said. “So you have enough cups to go around,” he added pointedly.

Kris watched Ollie pour tea and hand out plates with dessert on them, then turned to Adam. “I can’t believe you bought my kid leopard print spandex shorts,” he said softly, for Adam’s ears only.

“You can totally believe it,” Adam said.

Kris laughed. “Where on earth did you even find them?”

“Cassidy threw them together for me.”

“You’ll have to thank him for me,” Kris said dryly, and they shared a smile.

Once everyone had their tea and dessert, Ollie crawled into Kris’ lap. “I wanna try these on,” he said as he took the shorts out of Kris’ hand.

“Okay,” Kris said.

Ollie clambered down off Kris’ lap and immediately shoved his swim trunks down his legs and kicked them off.

“Oh my god, Oliver,” Kris groaned, covering his eyes. “That’s what the bathroom is for! No one wants to see that!”

Ollie giggled as he stepped into the shorts. Once he had them up, Ollie posed for them as if he thought he was all that in the shorts. Kris smoothed the waistband and let him run around and show off his new shorts.

A few minutes later Ollie returned. “Take my picture so you can send it to Brad!”

“I think you should wear a pair of underpants under those shorts,” Kris said as he dutifully pulled out his phone.

“They’re comfortable like this,” Ollie said.

“Then you’re never wearing them out of the house,” Kris told him.

“Send Zoe a picture, too,” Ollie said, ignoring the threat.

~*~

No nap eventually combined with the down after the sugar high, and all three kids were in bed by seven-thirty. A couple times after the presents were opened and nails polished, Adam had felt like he should leave, but Kris kept giving him the ‘don’t leave me alone with these people’ look, and so Adam was still hanging around.

Coming back from a trip to the kitchen for another bottle of water, Adam overheard the tail end of a conversation that must’ve started up as soon as he’d left.

“I’m just saying,” Daniel said reasonably. “Maybe Adam’s a bad influence on him.”

“Daniel,” Kim warned.

“Adam is _not_ a bad influence on Ollie,” Kris said.

Adam froze in place.

“I’m beginning to think I know who the bad influence might be,” Kris said angrily.

“Kris,” Kim cautioned.

Kris stormed back into the house, steps faltering when he saw Adam standing there. “Damn it.” He brushed a hand over his face, back over his head.

Shoulder slumped, Kris turned and headed into the living room. Adam followed him. They rarely sat in the living room because it was, in a word, ugly. Kris crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the bank of windows.

“I’m sorry you heard that,” Kris said. He huffed a humorless laugh. “And here I was hoping I could get through this week without incident.”

“It’s alright,” Adam said. Even though the words stung, he’d rather know exactly where he stood rather than endure the fake politeness.

“It’s not alright,” Kris said. “I didn’t mean for you to be exposed to Daniel’s . . . .”

“Intolerance?”

“Yeah.” Kris sighed. “I just wanted you to be here so much. For Ollie,” he clarified when he realized what he’d said.

“Uh huh,” Adam said. “I’m awesome, you can admit it.”

“Alright, and for me, too.”

Adam opened his arms and Kris stepped into them as if he’d never stopped. He buried his face into Adam’s chest, and Adam dropped a kiss to the top of his head. They stood like that for a few minutes, until they were interrupted by Daniel clearing his throat.

“I wanted to apologize,” Daniel said.

“Because Mama made you?” Kris said, not raising his head from Adam’s chest.

“And Audra threatened me with sleeping on the lounge chair.”

“I don’t actually want an apology you don’t mean,” Kris said.

“No,” Daniel said. “I shouldn’t have said that. It was mean, and untrue. I just, I worry about Ollie.”

“Worry that he’ll turn out gay like his dad? It’s not hereditary, you know.”

“You’re not gay,” Daniel said, more from habit than because he meant it.

“How long are you going to live in denial?” Kris said. “Unless you think Adam’s superpower is turning everyone he touches gay, in which case you’d better be careful.”

Adam didn’t speak, knowing this conversation was between Kris and Daniel, and probably a long time coming. And also, Adam didn’t want Kris to turn his ire from Daniel onto him. He rubbed his hand against Kris’ back, both a gentle caution and support.

Daniel noticed. “Are you two back together?”

Kris sighed. “No, Daniel, we’re not back together. We’re just friends, but if we weren’t, it would be none of your business.”

“I should leave you two alone,” Adam finally said.

Kris gave him the same look he’d been getting all day, but Adam held firm.

“You two need to talk.” He pressed a kiss to Kris’ temple and squeezed his hand. “Call me.”

Adam didn’t hear from Kris until Tuesday.

“Come help me,” Kris said when Adam answered the phone.

“Are we burying bodies?”

Kris laughed. “No, I’m cleaning out Ollie’s closet to make room for school clothes.”

“Ooh, clothes shopping!”

“You’re the only person I know who’d be excited about that.”

“You lie,” Adam said.

When Adam got there, Kris was sitting on Ollie’s bed staring at a t-shirt he held in his hands. He smiled when he saw Adam. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Adam said, taking in the several piles of clothes. “How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” Kris said as he looked at the mess he was creating on the way to making room in Ollie’s drawers and closet.

“What are your piles?”

“Those are the clothes he’s outgrown,” Kris said, pointing. “Those are still in good enough condition for Goodwill, and those need to be thrown out.”

“And this?” Adam asked about the shirt Kris had casually folded and set aside when he saw Adam.

Kris blushed. “A shirt I can’t bear to part with,” he admitted.

“May I?” Adam said, gesturing towards the shirt.

When Kris nodded, Adam picked it up. He shook out the folds and smiled at the ‘Daddy’s Boy’ printed I red across the front of the blue shirt.

“You have more of these, don’t you?” Adam said as he carefully refolded the tiny t-shirt. “A whole box of them hidden away.”

Adam could tell by the expression on Kris’ face that he was right. “Show me?”

Kris only hesitated a moment before nodding. “Okay,” he said as he unfolded himself from the bed. “But on one condition – no laughing.”

“I wouldn’t!” Adam said.

Adam followed Kris down the hall and into what he guessed was Kris’ bedroom from the jeans thrown across a chair and the unmade bed.

“How do you convince Ollie to pick up after himself and make his bed when you set this kind of example?” Adam teased to take his mind off the fact that they were _in Kris’ bedroom_.

Kris didn’t even look at the room, just said, “Because I said so.”

Adam chuckled. “That actually works?”

Kris grinned back at Adam over his shoulder. “About as good as you’d expect.”

“So no, then.”

Kris’ non-answer was answer enough. Adam followed Kris to the walk-in closet and leaned against the doorframe to watch him. Kris went up onto his tip toes and stretched to reach a small box he’d stored on the shelf. Adam tore his eyes away from the strip of skin revealed when Kris’ t-shirt raised and grinned at Kris’ efforts.

“Need some help?” Adam teased.

“Bite me, Lambert,” Kris said. His fingers finally found purchase on the box and he pulled it down with a triumphant grin.

Kris carried the box over to the bed and sat down, apparently thinking nothing of having Adam sit on the bed with him. Kris wiped the fine layer of dust off the cover with his hand and then carelessly wiped his hand on his jeans.

“There’s just a few things I couldn’t part with,” Kris said as he lifted the cover off the box.

“Oh my god,” Adam said when he saw the item folded on top. He lifted it out and shook out the folds. “This is the most adorable thing ever! And I don’t even like football. It is football, right?”

“Yeah,” Kris said. “It’s a football jersey. Green Bay.”

“I remember,” Adam said, his fingers tracing the ‘00' and ‘Allen’ on the back. “That you like Green Bay, I mean.”

Adam refolded the jersey and set it on the bed. “What else have you got in there?”

They went through the box, item by item. The knit cap Ollie wore home from the hospital, a crocheted sweater, the tiniest pair of booties, and Ollie’s first pair of shoes. There was also a tiny fuzzy bear costume that Ollie had worn for his first Halloween, an Arkansas Razorbacks sweatshirt and pants set, and an Atlanta Braves windbreaker. Kris touched each item reverently as he refolded and packed them back into the box.

Adam could see how much they meant to him. “Thank you,” he said. “For sharing this with me.”

Kris raised his eyes from his task and looked at Adam until Adam felt like he was going to get lost in Kris’ eyes. It seemed like Kris was going to say something profound, but all he said was, “You’re welcome.”

Kris covered the box and returned it to the shelf, and then led the way back to Ollie’s room.

“It seems like I just did this,” Kris said. “Before we moved out here. I can’t believe he’s outgrown more clothes already, or worn any out, given that he’s usually in one of his swimsuits.”

Adam chuckled like he was supposed to, but he could tell that Kris was sad at the reminder that his little boy was growing up. While Kris got back to work, Adam looked around Ollie’s bedroom. It had clearly come furnished with a bed, night stand and dresser, but the three-shelf bookshelf with Ollie’s books stacked on them was Kris’ addition, as was the chest that Adam could see held some of Ollie’s toys because the lid hadn’t closed all the way.

There was a stuffed bear that looked well-loved propped against the pillows on the bed, and a couple of photos on the night stand. Adam picked up the photo of Kris rocking a sleeping Ollie, who in turn had a loose grip on the same teddy bear that shared his bed. Beside that one was a photo of Katy holding Ollie when he was still a tiny baby. She appeared unaware of the camera and gazed upon the child in her arms as if he’d hung the moon.

Adam set the frame down and glanced up to catch Kris’ eyes on him. “Sorry, I . . . .“

Kris shook his head. “It’s fine. They’re there to be looked at.”

Kris studied the photo of Katy for a moment before speaking again. “It seemed like the more I loved him the less she wanted anything to do with him.” He sounded puzzled, but shook it off. “That’s not what I want him to remember, though. I want him to remember her like that.”

“You’re a great dad,” Adam said.

Kris looked at Adam in surprise, then gave an embarrassed laugh. “I do alright, I guess.”

“You do better than alright, and you know it.”

Kris’ hand moved restlessly over the pile of clothes in his lap. “I uprooted him from everything he knew and brought him to a strange city just so I can follow my dream.”

“Hey!” Adam said. “Number one, following your dream isn’t _just_ anything. Secondly, happy daddies make for happy children. I read that somewhere. And third . . . wait, what was third?”

Kris raised his eyebrows at Adam.

“Oh, yeah! Ollie is clearly so maladjusted, and that was sarcasm, by the way.”

“Okay,” Kris said. “I get it.”

“Do you?” Adam demanded.

“Yes, I do,” Kris said, giving Adam a look that made him wonder just what it was Kris got.

Kris and Adam met with Simon Fuller a couple weeks later. Kris had broached the subject one day, asking Adam if he really thought they could work together.

“I do,” Adam had assured him.

Kris’, “Okay,” was so casual that it took Adam a few seconds to realize that Kris was saying yes to the potential offer.

“Really?” Adam said. “But what about your album?”

“I think I can manage to work around it,” Kris said. “It helps that I’ve got a great support system in place.”

“You mean me?” Adam said.

Kris smiled. “You’re a big part of it, yes. Now call Simon and see if he’s willing to see us to discuss it.”

Fuller was willing to meet with them. It took a couple meetings with him and their respective management teams to iron out the details, but they finally had a contract.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” Kris said when they stood next to Adam’s car in the parking lot.

“Having second thoughts?” Adam asked, only partly joking.

“Not at all,” Kris said. “I have very fond memories of our first time.”

Kris ducked his head and got into the car before Adam could respond. Which was just as well because Adam had been left speechless.

They went out for ice cream to celebrate. Adam had gotten so used to no one catching them when he was out with Kris that he was almost surprised when a fan (of both of them, thankfully) approached to ask for a photo. Less than three minutes later the photo had been uploaded to Twitter.

_omg ran into @KrisAllen and @adamlambert at #icecreamheaven #icandiehappynow_

Sitting on Kris’ patio with Ollie splashing in the pool and Zoe taking a break, Adam scrolled through the @replies to the posted photo, most of which were speculating as to what Kris was doing in LA, much less in Adam’s company, since they had apparently not seen each other for years. There was even the expected rumors that he and Kris had secretly been seeing each other all along.

“How can you be in LA for months and no one know about it?” Adam said.

“No one cares about me, man,” Kris said.

The way he said it, so casual, as if he really thought that and it was no big deal, made Adam mad. “That’s not true,” Adam said, but he couldn’t raise his head to see Kris’ reaction because he was afraid Kris would see too much on his own face.

A few minutes later, disgusted with some of the @replies, Adam returned to his previous topic. “Have you been tweeting?”

Adam already knew the answer to that because, despite everything, he’d never unfollowed Kris. Part of it was PR, but there was a part of him that couldn’t bring himself to click the button because of what it would mean.

“Keeping your fans updated on the new album?”

Kris shrugged. “I was afraid of saying anything, jinxing it. And I’ve sort of gotten out of the habit. It was one thing to post photos of Zorro, but I’ve tried to keep Ollie out of the public eye as much as possible. And there was really nothing else to talk about. No one wanted to hear that I’d sold another song, or finished writing one they’d probably never hear me sing.”

“I think you’re selling yourself, and your fans, short,” Adam said as he typed. He re-read what he’d just keyed in, found no obvious typos, and hit send. He gave Kris an evil grin. “You’re going to have to start tweeting now.”

“Why?” Kris said. “What have you done?”

Adam whistled innocently.

“Adam?”

Kris reached over for Adam’s phone; Adam easily pulled it out of reach. Kris rolled off of the lounge he’d been sprawled on, knee walked the short distance to Adam, and proceeded to fight him for the phone. Adam remembered something about Kris that he’d forgotten – Kris fought dirty.

Adam was giggling and breathless from Kris’ fingers in his ribs when Ollie interrupted them.

“I’m hungry.”

“Okay, buddy,” Kris said, his face a little red (from more than his exertions, Adam thought). “What are you in the mood for?”

Adam felt his own face heat up as he realized just how close the two of them had gotten, and how natural it had felt.

“What were you guys doing?” Ollie asked suspiciously.

“I just wanted to look at Adam’s phone,” Kris said.

“Lies,” Adam said. “You wanted to steal it.”

“Don’t you have your own phone?” Ollie asked Kris.

“You know what, I do,” Kris said as he led the way to the kitchen. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“You’re welcome,” Ollie said, making it sound as if it was obvious to him, and should’ve been to Kris, as well.

“Do we have pizza?” Ollie asked.

“Aren’t you sick of pizza?”

Ollie’s answer was inaudible.

“Do you want it heated up? No? Cold? Okay.”

Adam took a deep breath and had to adjust himself before he followed them to the kitchen.

~*~

“I can’t believe you tweeted that!” Kris said later.

Adam grinned at the pomegranate he was checking out at the local farmer’s market. “Tweeted what?” he asked innocently.

“You know dam–darned well what!” Kris said.

“Refresh my memory,” Adam said as he set down the pomegranate and picked up a kiwi.

“It’s not your memory I’m going to be refreshing the next time I see you!” Kris threatened.

Adam laughed. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“I don’t, either,” Kris admitted. “Nothing good, I can tell you that.”

“Instead of thinking about that,” Adam said. “You should probably be thinking about what you’re going to tweet to all your fans.”

“I hate you,” Kris sighed, resigned.

“Lies,” Adam said, and disconnected the call.

Adam opened his Twitter app and smiled as he read his last tweet. He’d retweeted the photo he and Kris had posed for earlier, adding _who else is looking forward to new music from @KrisAllen?_

From the number of retweets and @replies, a lot of people were. While he was checking his feed, a tweet from Kris came in. _@adamlambert let the cat out of the bag. Yep, I’m working on new music and a new album! Can’t wait to share it with you._

Adam smiled, then tucked his phone back into his pocket and finished shopping.

~*~

School shopping with Kris and Ollie was _awesome_. Kris focused on jeans and button-down shirts and socks while Adam found a shop that sold vintage t-shirts in kid’s sizes (no wardrobe was complete without at least one Queen t-shirt, in Adam’s opinion), sneakers that lit up, and the coolest denim jacket ever. He also may have snuck in a blue and white plaid shirt that reminded Adam of the shirts Kris used to wear.

When Kris looked ready to drop, and Ollie was more interested in hiding in the racks rather than looking at one more t-shirt, Adam agreed to call it a day. They went to In-N-Out for burgers, french fries and milkshakes. The car smelled like grease and meat products and all their mouths were watering by the time they got back to Kris’. They ate in the kitchen and then Kris put Ollie, who’d nearly fallen asleep at the table, down for his nap.

They carried in the bags from the day’s outing and dumped everything onto the dining room table.

“I think this is the first time I’ve been in this room,” Kris commented as he sorted their purchases.

When Kris gave Adam the side-eye over the Ferris Bueller t-shirt he’d picked out, Adam quickly reminded him of the Inconceivable! Princess Bride one Kris had chosen.

Adam could tell Kris was trying to determine whether he’d gotten enough clothes to get Ollie through his first year of school. He reached out and touched Kris’ hand. “Don’t worry about it. If you decide you need more, we can get them later. Remember, you still need to get crayons and paste and whatever else kids need for kindergarten these days.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” Kris said wryly, but he turned his hand over in Adam’s and gave him a squeeze back.

Adam watched while Kris clipped off the price tags and stuffed them into an envelope, which he’d labeled ‘school shopping 2018' like the anal dad he was, along with the store receipts in case he needed to return anything later.

“What do you think about introducing Ollie to Riff?” Adam asked.

Kris’ hands stilled in the task of reading all the care instructions (as if a month from now he wouldn’t be tossing them all into the same load) and his head jerked up. “You want to?”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “I mean, unless you don’t.”

“No! That’s, I mean, yeah, I’d like that.”

“Good,” Adam said, relieved that his idea had been received well. “I think Ollie and Riff’ll get along.”

“Riff’s older than Ollie,” Kris commented. “Do you think, Lee and Scarlet, will they, you know, be okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t they be?” Adam asked.

“I just . . . it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, and . . . .”

“Ah,” Adam said. “You wonder if they’re holding a grudge because you broke my heart and ran away to hide in Arkansas and had a baby with someone else, who also happened to be your wife,” he added.

“Wow,” Kris said. “When you put it like that it sounds so bad.”

It sounded like he was trying to make a joke, but couldn’t quite manage it.

“It was bad,” Adam said. “Just in case you thought it was a picnic for me.”

“I don’t . . . think that,” Kris said.

Adam nodded. “They’re not the kind of people to hold grudges. And if they were, they’d forget about it the moment they met Ollie.”

“Not me?”

“I hate to break it to you, Kris, I mean, you’re cute and all, but Ollie’s cuter.”

Adam arranged the get-together for the following week when they all had an afternoon off. Kris fretted about what he was going to serve, and Ollie frowned when Kris told him that Adam was bringing over some friends for him to meet. Kris told Adam that Ollie asked him a lot of questions about Riff, which he hoped meant he was looking forward to meeting someone closer to his age than the adults he hung around with all the time.

By the time the day arrived, Adam was just as nervous as Kris that everyone, Riff and Ollie especially, get along. His smile felt too wide when Kris answered the door. For some reason, seeing Kris’ equally nervous face put Adam at ease. Adam stepped into the majestic (one night when they were both overtired, they’d concluded that calling it pretentious was creating a negative vibe and had decided to call it majestic instead) foyer and reflexively leaned down to give Kris a hug, dropping a kiss to the side of his head.

Adam moved out of the way to let the others in, and made introductions. Kris shook Lee’s hand and let Scarlet pull him into a hug.

“It’s good to see you guys again,” Kris said before squatting down and greeting Riff at his level. “Hi, Riff. You probably don’t remember me.”

Riff shook his head.

“You were really young the last time I saw you. Gosh, you’ve gotten so big! It’s good to see you again, too.” Kris held out his hand and Riff solemnly shook it.

“Speaking of little guys,” Adam said. “Where’s Ollie?”

“He was just right here,” Kris said. “I think he went upstairs for something.”

As if speaking his name conjured him up, Ollie appeared at the top of the stairs. He walked down them more slowly than Adam had ever seen him walk, as if he wanted to make sure everyone saw him. Or rather, saw what he was wearing. Which was the pair of leopard print spandex shorts Adam had gotten him for his birthday.

“What are you wearing?” Kris said immediately.

“My shorts,” Ollie replied. “You said I could wear them in the house,” he reminded Kris defiantly.

“Not when we have company,” Kris said, still managing to sound reasonable while gritting his teeth. “So either go upstairs and put on a pair of underpants, or take off the shorts.”

Ollie gave Kris a triumphant look, as if that had been what he’d been waiting to hear. “Okay,” he said, his hands going to the waistband of the shorts.

“Oliver!” Kris said.

Ollie’s lower lip trembled, but he stared back at Kris with his chin up. Before war could break out (and it would be a war Kris would lose even if he won the battle), Adam scooped Ollie up and headed for the stairs. “We’ll be right back!” Adam called over his shoulder.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into him,” Adam heard Kris say.

Instead of the resistance Adam had expected from him, Ollie wrapped his arms around Adam’s neck, his legs around Adam’s waist, and clung to him. Even when they got up to his bedroom Ollie refused to release him.

“That was quite an entrance,” Adam said.

Ollie’s only response was to bury his face deeper in Adam’s neck and tighten his hold on him.

“Hey,” Adam said. “What’s up?”

When Ollie didn’t reply, Adam sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Ollie’s back, giving him whatever time he needed.

“You know daddy’s not really mad at you, right?” Adam tried. He got no response to that so he just held Ollie, rocking him in his arms.

Finally Ollie spoke. “Do you like him better than me?”

“Who?” Adam said.

“Riff,” Ollie said, somehow managing to convey that that was a stupid name even though Adam couldn’t see his face.

Adam bit back a grin and squeezed Ollie tight. “I’ve known Riff a long time,” Adam said. “He’s my godson and I love him a lot. But I love you a lot, too, you know that, right?”

“More than him?” Ollie asked.

“There’s no more or less,” Adam said. “There’s room in my heart for both of you.”

Adam waited a moment for Ollie to digest that. “Okay?”

Ollie nodded the head still tucked in Adam’s neck. He allowed Adam to ease him back. Adam pushed his bangs out of his face and looked into eyes that reminded him so much of Kris it hurt. “You okay now?”

Ollie nodded, then said, “What about my dad?”

“What about him?” Adam said.

“Will he like Riff better than me?”

“Absolutely not!” Adam said. “Is that what you’ve been worrying about? Daddy will never love anybody more than you. You’re his most special person. There’s no one who means more to him than you.”

Ollie hid his face in Adam’s chest. Adam squeezed Ollie and gave him a little shake.

“You don’t ever have to worry about that.” Adam punctuated that with a kiss to the top of Ollie’s head.

“You’re his special person, too,” Ollie said, the words muffled against Adam’s shirt.

Even so, Adam couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear it. “I think your daddy’s pretty special, too,” he told Ollie.

Ollie raised his head and smiled at Adam.

“You ready to go down and play now?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, we need to change these shorts first.”

Ollie gave Adam a shyly sly look as he shoved down the shorts and put on the swim trunks that were lying on the floor, the same ones he’d probably been wearing earlier. Adam shook his head.

“You know, there are easier ways to get snuggles.”

Ollie gave Adam a look, then turned his head towards the doorway. “Hi, Daddy.”

“Hi, Ollie,” Kris said. “Thank you for changing your shorts.”

Ollie somehow managed to look both contrite and unrepentant at the same time.

Kris opened his arms and Ollie ran into them. “You know Daddy loves you more than anything, right?”

Ollie nodded his head. Kris gave Ollie a squeeze, then wrestled him to the floor and blew a raspberry on his bare belly. Ollie giggled until tears ran from his eyes. Adam reached up and rubbed his chest – watching Kris with his son made Adam’s heart feel like it was too big for his chest.

Ollie held both their hands for the walk down the stairs and made them swing him down the hallway. On the patio Kris introduced Ollie to their guests. Instead of looking embarrassed at the small scene he’d created, Ollie appeared to have a little extra swagger in his step.

Ollie said hello to Lee and Scarlet as he was introduced to them, then zeroed in on the camera Lee had brought with him. “Are you going to take pictures?”

“Most likely,” Lee said as he set down the glass of lemonade he’d been sipping from.

Adam took a moment to notice the shit ton of snacks Kris had set out – a fruit platter, cheese and dips on ice, drinks in a cooler. He reached for a grape.

“Lee doesn’t go anywhere without his camera,” Scarlet said.

Riff groaned his agreement.

“Will you take a picture of me?”

“Ollie!”

Adam snorted and almost choked on the grape. Kris glared at him and Adam gave him a ‘what’ look.

“I expect that I will,” Lee said gravely.

Ollie nodded. He turned to Riff. “I have light sabers.”

Riff studied Ollie, then shrugged. “Alright.”

Ollie took Riff’s hand. “Come on!”

Kris watched them go with a smile. When he turned back, he caught Adam watching him.

“How long were you up there?” Adam asked.

“Long enough,” Kris said enigmatically. “You’re really good with him.”

“He’s really good with me,” Adam said. He didn’t know what it meant, but it felt right.

The play date went well enough that for days it seemed the only thing Ollie talked about was, ‘Riff said this’ and ‘Riff did that’. Lee and Scarlet even invited Ollie to come over and play with Riff one day while Kris was in the studio. Adam was so pleased with the way it worked out he approached Alisan next about introducing Ollie to Mason. Brad took offense.

“Why am I not getting invited to go over and play with Ollie?”

“Because they’re looking for someone close to Ollie in age, not just mentally,” Danielle told him.

“I’ll see if I can set up a play date for you with Ollie,” Adam told Brad. “Though it will require that you spend some time in the pool.”

“I rock a swimsuit,” Brad declared.

“You can’t wear the thong,” Alisan said.

“Or the speedo,” Tommy interjected.

“Think ‘family friendly’,” Daniell added.

“I can be family friendly,” Brad scoffed. “I did twins once. Identical.”

“Euww,” Alisan laughed while Danielle threw a chip at him.

“It was hot,” Brad said.

“There’s not enough brain bleach,” Tommy said.

“What?” Adam said when they all looked expectantly at him. “It _was_ hot.”

“You were there?” Danielle hooted.

“No,” Adam admitted. “But Brad showed me the video.”

More packets of sugar were thrown at them.

“Two more of these, please,” Tommy told their waitress, indicating his mimosa.

“You should bring Kris and Ollie next time,” Danielle said.

“Oh, yes,” Brad said, already planning something Adam didn’t even want to know about.

“I’ll ask,” Adam said.

~*~

The first day of school brought tears. Adam opened his door that morning to see a sad looking Kris standing on his doorstep.

“Oh, baby,” Adam said as he drew Kris into the condo. “He’ll be fine.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about,” Kris said with a sniffle.

Adam drew Kris into a hug. Before either of them could relax into it too much, Adam set Kris back and said, “I have just the thing.”

Adam took Kris by the hand and dragged him into the kitchen. He got five pints of Ben & Jerry’s out of the freezer, hugging them to his chest and carefully dumping them onto the island.

“Pick your poison,” Adam said as he went for spoons.

Kris laughed as he set the pints upright. “But it’s not even nine o’clock.”

“There is no right or wrong time for ice cream therapy,” Adam told him.

Kris chuckled, but he eyed up the pints. Adam nudged them closer and Kris gave him a look. Finally he chose the Cookies ‘n Cream. Adam chose the Mint Chocolate Chip and put the others back into the freezer for another emergency.

“Oh my god,” Kris laughed when Adam slipped each of the pints into a sleeve.

“Don’t mock,” Adam said. “These sleeves are awesome.”

They took their ice cream to the balcony and ate in silence for a few minutes.

“How was he?” Adam asked when he thought it was safe to do so.

Kris sighed. “Fine. Excited. Though he did give me a list of things I couldn’t do without him. Like use the pool, or have you over. I think he’s afraid he’s gonna miss out on all the fun stuff while he’s at school.”

“Aww,” Adam said. “Why don’t I bring over take-out for supper and he can tell us all about his day. Unless you think that’ll be too much stimulation. Or I’m overstepping,” Adam said. “If I am, please tell me.”

“You’re not,” Kris assured him. “Take-out would be great.”

They decided on Thai and finished their ice cream before Kris sighed and said that he really had to go home and get some work done before he picked Ollie up from school.

“You’re going to pick him up?” Adam said.

“Yeah, I think it’s important, you know?”

Kris swore Adam to secrecy about the visit and the ice cream. “I don’t want to get into trouble on my first day,” he said with a smile.

Adam wanted to give Kris some time with Ollie after he picked him up, but he was eager to see them both. He ignored the voice at the back of his head telling him that he was getting in too deep. Especially when Kris let him in and Ollie was beside him, vibrating with excitement to see Adam.

“Adam! I had my first day of school today!” Ollie said before Kris had even closed the door behind Adam.

“I know!” Adam said. “I want to hear all about it!”

“Okay,” Ollie agreed enthusiastically. “What did you bring?”

“Your favorite.”

Ollie looked skeptical. “Pizza’s my favorite.”

“Second favorite, then,” Adam said.

“Mac and cheese?”

“Now you’re just making me suffer,” Adam said.

Ollie grinned. “I’m _starving_ ,” he said, taking Adam’s hand and leading him to the kitchen.

Kris had gone on ahead and was getting out plates and flatware. “Should we sit on the patio?”

“Yes,” Ollie said, going up on his tip toes and resting his chin on the counter top.

“Okay,” Kris said. He poured three glasses of milk, set everything on a tray, and carried it out to the patio. Ollie skipped ahead and Adam brought up the rear.

Kris put food on Ollie’s plate, but Ollie mostly ignored it in favor of telling Adam all about his day. Kris had probably already heard it all, but he sat back in his chair, smiling softly to himself as Ollie gesticulated wildly, and listening as if he hadn’t heard a word of it before now.

Ollie told Adam about his locker, and having to raise your hand to speak, about lunch and recess, and about the hamster they all got to take turns caring for.

“Wow,” Adam said when Ollie paused to take a breath. “You’ve had a very busy day.”

“And it’s not over yet, is it?” Kris prompted.

“I have homework,” Ollie proudly informed Adam.

“Wow, homework,” Adam said. “Already?”

Kris nodded. To Ollie he said, “Why don’t you eat something, and maybe Adam can help you with your homework.”

Kris laughed at Adam’s look of panic. He stacked his and Adam’s plates onto the tray along with some of the empty cartons. Kris brushed his hand over Ollie’s head, and then squeezed Adam’s shoulder before carrying the tray out to the kitchen. Adam watched Ollie try to eat and continue telling Adam about his day at the same time.

Kris returned with the empty tray. He stood just outside the sliding glass doors and watched Adam and Ollie. Adam gave him a ‘what are you doing’ look, but Kris just smiled and continued over to the table where Ollie included Kris into the retelling of his day as if Kris had never left.

Kris stole a piece of broccoli off Ollie’s plate, which spurred Ollie to eat faster just to keep Kris from stealing it all. When Ollie pushed his plate back and declared himself done, Kris sent him off to wash his hands and bring out his backpack. Kris moved Ollie’s plate to the tray and wiped off the table so Ollie could do his homework there.

“What kind of homework do they give you in _kindergarten_?” Adam asked frantically while Ollie was gone. Riff had gone to kindergarten not that long ago, and Adam didn’t remember Lee and Scarlet talking about homework.

Kris smiled at him. “I don’t know, I haven’t looked at it yet. He was too excited when he got home. Probably writing his name, or numbers, or something.”

It turned out to be shapes. Ollie appeared carrying his backpack before Kris finished speaking. He shoved it at Adam.

“Did you see my new backpack?” Ollie asked.

“I did see it,” Adam said, looking it over appreciatively now. He hadn’t been able to accompany them on their shopping trip for school supplies once Kris got the list from the teacher, but Ollie had eagerly shown him everything when Adam had visited.

Ollie unzipped his backpack and pulled out a folder. He removed his worksheet, and handed the folder to Kris. “There’s stuff you gotta do,” he informed his dad.

“Have to do,” Kris said distractedly as he took the folder from Ollie.

“That’s what I said,” Ollie said.

Kris just gave him a look, then turned back to the papers in the folder that required his attention. Ollie got a pencil out of a side pocket in his backpack and proceeded to very carefully print out his name at the top of the paper.

When Ollie, with very little input from Adam needed, thankfully, finished his homework, Kris brought out the cake he’d bought. It said, ‘Congratulations on your 1st day!’

Ollie beamed happily when he saw the cake, but started to get a little bit cranky by the time he finished a piece.

“Full day,” Kris said to Adam over Ollie’s head. To Ollie he said, “How about you take your bath, and then we can watch a movie?”

“Can Adam stay?” Ollie said.

“Of course Adam can stay. If he’s not busy.”

Ollie gave Adam an expectant look. “I can stay,” Adam told him.

“Can Adam help me with my bath?” Ollie asked.

“I don’t know if Adam wants to, after last time,” Kris said.

Ollie gave Adam his very own version of puppy eyes. Adam dared anyone to try and deny him when he turned those eyes on them.

“Fine,” Adam said. “But no getting me soaking wet this time.”

“Okay,” Ollie promised, and then cackled as he ran into the house.

Kris gave Adam a look. “I hope you brought a change of clothes.”

Now that Ollie was in school, Kris had more time to spend in the studio. He’d felt too guilty about uprooting Ollie from Arkansas to go in more than a couple times a week, and only then for a couple hours while Zoe had Ollie otherwise occupied.

Adam was not moping, no matter what Brad said. It wasn’t like he and Kris never saw each other. And they spoke on the phone nearly everyday.

~*~

“School pictures,” Kris said one day.

“Uh,” Adam said.

“They’ve already sent paperwork home for school picitures,” Kris said. “Doesn’t it seem early to you?”

“Yes?” Adam said.

Kris snorted.

~*~

“Ollie has a girlfriend.”

“Wow, he works fast,” Adam said.

Kris laughed. “Okay, maybe not a girlfriend, but he talks about her an awful lot.”

~*~

“How’s recording going?”

“Good,” Kris said. “I’ve got some songs I want you to hear.”

“You know I’d love to,” Adam said.

“Can I send ‘em over?” Kris asked.

“Yes, send them!” Adam said, hoping he didn’t sound too eager. “Have you decided when you’re going to release the first single?”

Kris chuckled. “I haven’t even finalized the tracks for the album, much less chosen a single or a release date. I think we’re shooting for January, though. How about you? How’s the writing going?”

“Good!” Adam said. He wasn’t lying, or exaggerating. Lately the words just seemed to flow out of him like water.

Adam heard the beep that meant he’d received an e-mail. He checked his account – it was from Kris and there was an attachment. Adam couldn’t wait to open it.

~*~

From the way his hair stood up, Kris looked frustrated when he opened the door to Adam’s knock.

“Am I interrupting?”

Kris sighed. “No. Just trying to write.”

“Not going well, I take it?” Adam said as he followed Kris into the music room formerly known as the den.

“What was your first clue?” Kris said wryly over his shoulder.

“To be honest, the hair,” Adam said.

Kris ran a self-conscious hand over his head. Adam batted Kris’ hand away.

“You’re not helping.”

Adam fluffed Kris’ hair, then studied his handiwork. “There, now it looks like you intended it to look that way.”

Kris raised his eyebrows. Adam just grinned and tried to ignore the tingle in the tips of his fingers where Kris’ hair had wrapped around them.

“Can I help?” Adam asked to change the subject to something less fraught with danger. “With the song,” he clarified when Kris looked confused. “A fresh pair of eyes and all that.”

Kris looked torn.

“I don’t have to,” Adam said, trying to hide his hurt that Kris, who so eagerly sought Adam’s advice on his other songs might not want his input on this one. Writing a song could be a very personal journey, he reminded himself. “If you’re not ready to . . . .”

“No,” Kris said. “No, that’s, that’s not . . . .” Kris sighed, but more interesting to Adam, he blushed. He ducked his head and snatched up the notebook which he’d left lying on the coffee table. Kris held out the notebook to Adam, who didn’t even bother trying to pretend that he didn’t want to see what Kris had gotten hung up on.

Adam took the notebook and settled himself on the couch before looking at it. It was a good thing he had, because he didn’t think his legs would’ve held him up otherwise. He thought he’d gotten used to Kris spilling his heart out in his songs, but this one felt different, felt more specific.

_I never thought of myself as a coward_  
when I was with you I felt so brave  
but I didn’t have the strength  
to tell the world to go to hell 

Adam almost wished he hadn’t asked, hadn’t read the words printed in Kris’ messy scrawl, not with Kris standing right there waiting to see his reaction.

“Do you . . . .” Adam cleared his throat. “Do you have, were you playing . . . ?” He indicated the guitar propped against the arm of the sofa and Kris got what Adam was trying to say.

Kris picked up the guitar. “You want me to play it?”

“Do you mind?”

“No, I don’t mind,” Kris said, but the color hadn’t left his cheeks. He sat down next to Adam and got the guitar comfortable in his lap. Kris strummed a few warm up chords and then played.

Adam silently sang the lyrics in his head along to the music Kris played. Words popped into his mind and Adam wrote them down without thinking. Kris watched him, but didn’t say anything.

_I held on too tight  
and watched you slip through my fingers_

Kris continued to play and they took turns adding lyrics to the song, Kris sometimes snatching the pen out of Adam’s fingers and scribbling across the page before dropping the pen and returning to his guitar. It should’ve been strange and painful, writing this song with Kris, and it was, but it was also cathartic.

Once in a while Kris would play and they’d sing the lyrics they’d written so far together, their voices merging and separating as if they instinctively knew when to come in and when to fade out, changing a word here, re-writing an entire phrase there. They came to a point where the song seemed to reach its natural conclusion and they sang it together one last time.

Adam’s heart pounded wildly when they finished. He could see the pulse jumping in Kris’ neck. Adam dug his nails into his palm to keep from reaching out and pressing the tips of his fingers to the spot. Or worse yet, his lips. Kris’ fingers had a white knuckled grip on the neck of the guitar. He released his hold and set the guitar aside, not looking at Adam.

When Kris did finally turn to look at Adam, he saw why Kris had hesitated to do so. Everything he felt was written across his face, emotions that Adam had caught glimpses of over the past months, but had been afraid to put any stock in. There was a flush high on Kris’ cheeks, but Adam knew it wasn’t due to embarrassment this time. And his eyes were hot on Adam’s face.

“Kris,” Adam said. He’d meant it to come out firm, a caution, but his voice cracked.

“Adam,” Kris said. His voice was high and breathless, and Adam felt himself leaning in towards Kris, drawn to him like a magnet, as he had been from the very first moment they’d met.

Adam didn’t see Kris move, but suddenly he was just there, his hand sliding around the back of Adam’s neck, his lips pressing lightly against Adam’s. Adam groaned, and Kris made a sound, a soft eager hitch of his breath that made Adam want to lick into his mouth and take him apart. Some shred of control kept Adam from pushing Kris down onto the couch and tearing off his clothes and taking him right there.

All it took was the touch of the tip of Kris’ tongue to Adam’s lips to break his restraint. Adam kissed Kris like he was oxygen – air and food and water and everything Adam needed to live – and Kris returned the kiss with equal fervor, curling his fingers in Adam’s hair and attempting to crawl into Adam’s lap. Adam stopped him, fingers digging into Kris’ hips as he pushed him back, pressed him down into the cushions and settled over him. Kris made a noise that sounded like _yes_ and curled his leg over Adam’s hip to pull him closer and hold him there.

The kiss was rough and messy, bumped noses and bitten lips. Noisy. Hands moving over each other, exploring, reacquainting. Bodies moving together in a dance that felt familiar, right. Adam reached between them, took Kris in his palm and elicited a soft moan. Kris’ hand joined Adam’s between them, his fingers tugging at Adam’s belt buckle.

Adam raised his head and gazed down at Kris. He looked beautiful – his lips wet and swollen, his cheeks flushed, his eyes glazed and wide. Suddenly it hit Adam what they were doing. And how badly wrong it could go. It was like a bucket of ice water on his ardour. Adam released Kris’ dick and grabbed Kris’ wrist.

“Kris, stop.”

Kris looked at Adam with confused eyes as he tried to pull out of Adam’s grip so he could continue his assault on Adam’s belt buckle.

“We can’t,” Adam said gently. “Kris.”

“Yes, we can,” Kris said. “Adam, please.”

Kris looked at him with such _want_ in his eyes that Adam wished he could ignore the way his brain was panicking and just take what Kris was offering.

“The song,” Adam began.

“Yeah?”

“It was . . . emotional.”

“Yes,” Kris agreed.

“I don’t want _this_ to be just because of that,” Adam said.

“It’s not . . . .”

“I don’t want you to regret it.”

“I won’t,” Kris said fervently.

And, oh, how Adam wanted to believe him. But they’d gotten close, they’d gotten their friendship back, which Adam hadn’t even thought possible, and he didn’t want to lose that. No matter how much he wanted this, right now, he wanted that more. He couldn’t take the chance.

Adam pulled away, but Kris made it difficult to disentangle himself. He was like the fly stuck in the spider’s sticky web. It was made even more difficult by Adam’s traitorous body, which liked being right where it was, between Kris’ legs. Adam’s hips rolled against Kris even as he raised his upper body. He dipped his head for a kiss even as he levered himself out from between Kris’ legs. His fingers dragged over Kris’ hip as he forced himself to his feet.

“Adam,” Kris said plaintively, his fingers brushing Adam’s arm as Adam pulled away.

Adam ducked down and pressed his lips to Kris’ for a quick kiss, then harder for a much longer one. It was almost physically painful for Adam to drag himself away.

“Adam, please,” Kris said, his voice hoarse and rough.

Adam didn’t look back, but his brain suppled the image of Kris sliding his hand down his body, touching himself and moaning Adam’s name in that rough timbre. Walking away from Kris was the hardest thing Adam had done since the day he’d told Kris to stop calling him ‘til he got his shit together. And Kris had.

It took Adam three days to work up the nerve to return any of Kris’ calls. In the meantime, he most decidedly did not spend those three days moping around his condo.

“You’re moping,” Brad said.

“I’m not moping,” Adam said irritably.

Brad looked to Danielle for confirmation, which she gave him, the traitor.

“Sorry, Ad, but you’re definitely moping.”

Adam sighed. “I hate you both.”

“No you don’t,” Danielle said.

“Which is why you invited us over here to cheer you up,” Brad said.

“I don’t need cheering up,” Adam lied. “And I don’t actually remember inviting either of you.”

“Pish,” Brad said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Later, after they’d plied Adam with drink and rom-coms, Brad sighed. “I can’t believe you didn’t tap that.”

“I don’t want to tap that,” Adam said.

“Lie,” Danielle said.

“You are no longer my favorite,” Adam told her.

The truth was, he did want to tap that. He wanted to tap it _hard_. But he was afraid of doing something that would make Kris feel awkward, or make him regret what they’d done.

“I don’t want to screw up our friendship,” Adam said. “We’re just getting back to a good place, I don’t want to lose that.”

Brad and Danielle both stared at Adam as if he’d grown another head.

“What?”

“If you think all Pocket Idol wants is friendship, you’re only fooling yourself,” Brad said.

Adam shook his head. Kris had never given Adam any indication that he wanted more than friendship from Adam. Not until the other day, anyway, and that was an anomaly brought about by the strong emotions they’d both been experiencing while writing the song. He glanced up at Danielle, who was giving him a ‘you’re such a blind sap’ look.

None of which helped Adam when he finally gathered his courage and went to see Kris. Who didn’t look the slightest bit surprised to see Adam standing there when he pulled open the door.

“Phone broken?” Kris said lightly as he stepped back to let Adam pass into the Magnificent Foyer™.

“No,” Adam admitted sheepishly. “I’m sorry for not returning your calls.”

Kris closed the door and studied Adam before nodding his acceptance of Adam’s apology.

“And I’m sorry,” Adam went on before he lost his nerve. “About leaving like that the other day. I didn’t want to do anything that you’d regret, or that would ruin our friendship. I just, I didn’t want things to be awkward between us.”

Kris looked at Adam like he’d lost his mind, then drawled, “Right, ‘cause leaving me with a boner wasn’t awkward at all,” before turning and heading down the hall.

Adam was slammed with the image of Kris lying on the sofa, all disheveled and flushed, the sounds he’d made, the way he’d said Adam’s name. Adam’s entire body went hot and he couldn’t breathe. “I hate you so much right now,” Adam muttered.

Kris glanced over his shoulder and grinned at Adam before disappearing into the music room.

The scene of the crime, Adam thought as he followed slowly, loathe to step back inside the room. Kris was sitting at the desk when Adam entered. He spoke as if nothing was wrong.

“I’m just waiting for a confirmation.”

“For what?” Adam said, ignoring Kris’ amused look as he skirted the sofa.

“Tickets for our flight to Arkansas,” Kris said.

Adam’s heart lodged in his throat. When he could speak again, he said, “You’re going back to Arkansas?”

“Yeah.” Kris looked up and saw the expression on Adam’s face. “For Thanksgiving, Adam.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Adam said, unable to hide his relief.

Kris hit some keys and the printer hummed to life. He stood and moved out from behind the desk. “I realize my actions in the past may have made you . . . wary, but I’m not leaving. LA is my, our, home now.”

Kris stared at Adam until he was sure Adam believed him. “Okay. I think we could both use a drink. Come on.”

“Isn’t it a little early?” Adam said.

“Not if you mix it with ice cream and make a milkshake,” Kris said. “I’ve heard that there is no right or wrong time for ice cream therapy.”

“A milkshake?” Adam said doubtfully.

“Chocolate Kahlua,” Kris said, biting back a grin.

“You can’t be serious,” Adam said. “I’m going to gain so much weight.”

“You could stand to put on some weight,” Kris said, pinching Adam’s side before he could get out of reach. Kris turned to lead the way out of the den and Adam followed, tripping over his own two feet when Kris looked back over his shoulder and said, “And just so you know, I wouldn’t have regretted it.”

“So, what have you been doing?” Kris asked as he got out the fixings for their milkshakes.

“Moping, apparently,” Adam said.

Kris glanced at Adam. There was a soft smile on his face that made Adam wonder just what was going on inside his brain. Before Adam could think about it too much, Kris started talking to Adam about the spectacular fantastic milkshake he was going to make.

Adam was still there when Ollie got home from school. Adam had to cover his ears and then protect his junk because Ollie screeched excitedly when he saw Adam and then dove into his lap. Whirlwind Ollie told them all about his day, his stories heavy on a girl named Lisa, who Adam figured was the girlfriend of whom Kris had once spoken, what he’d had for lunch, and recess, before he declared himself ‘starving, Dad’ and raced off to the kitchen for whatever snack Zoe had prepared for him.

“I can’t believe it’s this late already,” Adam said.

“Time flies,” Kris said with an enigmatic smile.

“I thought you picked Ollie up from school,” Adam said.

Kris flushed.

“You didn’t send Zoe because I was here, did you?” Adam asked worriedly, not wanting to disrupt Kris’ plans.

“No,” Kris assured Adam. “I drop Ollie off and Zoe picks him up now.”

“Why?” Adam said. “I thought you enjoyed picking him up.”

“I did,” Kris said, but he refused to elaborate.

“Wait,” Adam said, watching the flush darken Kris’ skin. “Was it all the single moms?”

“It was awful,” Kris said, glaring at Adam when he laughed. And laughed. Kris pouted. “It’s not funny.”

“It kinda is,” Adam said. “Who thought that elementary school was the new singles market.”

Despite Kris’ statement that he wouldn’t have regretted it if they’d . . . completed what they’d started in the den, he didn’t make any further overtures in that direction. Adam was not disappointed.

They got back into a rhythm of visits. Adam even brought Brad and Danielle over to Kris’ once (they convinced Kris to join them for brunch one Sunday), and took Kris and Ollie to dinner with his mom. And then one day in early October, Kris called Adam frantic for a babysitter.

“Thank you so much,” Kris said when Adam opened the door and Kris and Ollie and two bags of god knew what fell into the condo.

“It’ll just be for a couple of hours,” Kris said as he slid the bags off his shoulders and set them on the floor. “If I could’ve canceled this meeting I would’ve,” Kris said, “but it’s important.”

“I understand,” Adam said. “And we’ll be fine,” he reassured Kris, squeezing his arms until Kris stopped jittering.

Kris sighed. “I know you will, I just panicked when Zoe was sick and couldn’t watch Ollie. Thank you,” he said again.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Adam said. “Now lets go see what Ollie’s gotten into.”

Kris looked around Adam’s entry as if just realizing that Ollie had disappeared. “Oh god.”

Kris went off towards the living room and Adam followed. They found Ollie sitting on the coffee table in front of Tommy, staring at the pink stripe in Tommy’s hair.

“Hey, Ollie,” Kris said, sounding relieved.

“Hey, Dad,” Ollie said. “Can I . . . ?”

“No,” Kris said. “No pink stripes in your hair until you’re sixteen. Or purple, or red, or any other color,” Kris added when Ollie opened his mouth to say something.

Kris ran his fingers through Ollie’s hair as he turned to Tommy. “Sorry for interrupting your plans.”

“No problem,” Tommy said laconically. He raised his fist to Kris and they bumped fists and waggled their fingers together in some strange handshake.

Adam was not jealous.

“I’ve got to get going,” Kris told Ollie. “Hug.” He spread his arms and buried his face in Ollie’s neck when Ollie threw himself into them. “Be good for Adam,” Kris said, dropping a kiss to the top of Ollie’s head.

“I will,” Ollie said.

Adam walked Kris to the door. Behind him he heard Ollie say, “You wear make-up like Adam.”

Kris gave a little snort and said, “I blame you for that, just so you know.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. Kris hadn’t seemed to mind Ollie’s fascination with nail polish and glitter, but now Adam wasn’t sure.

Kris shook his head. “No, I didn’t mean it like that, I just . . . I used to wonder if god was punishing me by giving me a son who reminded me so much of you.”

“Wow,” Kris sighed. “That didn’t come out right, either. He just, he was the son I thought we might have. Sometimes he felt more like your son than mine, he was so like you, open to loving everyone, and eager to learn, and smiling all the time . . . .”

“Sounds a lot like his dad, to me,” Adam said, and Kris gave him a soft smile.

“Thank you. For watching him.”

“I’m happy to do it,” Adam said.

“I’ll call you when my meeting’s over.”

“Okay.”

Kris gave Adam a quick kiss to the cheek and then he was gone. Adam wandered back to the living room, wondering what he’d find. Tommy and Ollie were both sitting on the couch watching Sprout. Adam didn’t even know he got that channel. He walked around the sofa and joined them. Ollie smiled at Adam, then turned his attention back to the television screen.

“What are we watching?” Adam asked.

“Caillou,” Ollie said.

They watched for a few minutes until a commercial came on.

“I have to pee,” Ollie announced.

“Come on, I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” Adam said.

He stood and held out his hand for Ollie to take. Ollie shoved himself off the couch cushion and slipped his hand into Adam’s.

“Zoe’s sick,” Ollie told Adam as they walked out of the living room and down the hall.

“Your dad told me that.”

“She was puking,” Ollie went on. “It was really gross!”

“I’m sure it was,” Adam said. “Here we are,” he added when they reached the guest bath. He reached in and flipped on the light switch. “Do you need help?”

“No, I can do it myself,” Ollie said as he took in the bathroom with rapt interest.

“Okay,” Adam said. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”

“You don’t need to wait for me,” Ollie said.

“What if you can’t find your way back to the living room?” Adam said.

Ollie gave Adam a look that reminded him of Kris, and then shut the door in his face. Adam twisted his hands together, wondering if he should ignore Ollie’s certainty and wait for him anyway, or trust that he’d call for Adam if he needed help. Adam spotted the bags Kris had left in the entry and decided to see what Kris had brought over.

One bag held a couple changes of clothes and some snacks. The other was stuffed full with enough DVDs and toys to keep Ollie busy for at least a couple of hours. Adam hoped. He was reading the titles on the DVD cases when Ollie emerged from the bathroom. His chin was tucked against his chest and he was struggling with the snap at the waistband of his jeans.

When Ollie saw Adam he immediately gave up and hurried down the hall to him. “What are you doing?”

“Just seeing what your dad brought over,” Adam said. He indicated the DVDs in his hand, then stuffed them back into the bag.

Ollie gave the bags a disinterested glance, then stared at his sneakers as he drew a finger a long the wall. “Can I see your house?”

“You want a tour?” Adam said.

Ollie nodded.

“Alright,” Adam agreed. “Come here first so I can do up your pants.”

Ollie stepped closer to Adam, but he squirmed, too excited to stand still.

“Shirt in or out?” Adam asked.

“Out,” Ollie said.

Adam closed the snap and pulled Ollie’s shirt down. He patted Ollie’s hip. “Okay, ready?”

Ollie nodded his head excitedly.

“Okay, well, this is the entryway.”

Ollie looked around the space, unimpressed.

Adam stood and took Ollie’s hand. “This is the living room, as you know. You can explore it more fully later.”

“Okay,” Ollie said, as if Adam had made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

They went through the first floor, kitchen, guest bath and guest room. Ollie took careful note of the guest room.

“If I had to spent the night,” he asked with a faked nonchalance. “Is this where I’d sleep?”

Adam covered his surprise. “Yes,” he said. Adam looked at the room with fresh eyes. “If you stayed over very often, though, maybe we’d have to paint it a different color.”

“Purple?” Ollie said immediately.

The corner of Adam’s eye twitched. “Sure,” he said.

“Where do you sleep?” Ollie asked.

So Adam took Ollie up to the second level where the master bedroom and bath, along with a huge walk-in closet, took up most of the space. There was also a smaller room that Adam used as an office-slash-writing area when he needed privacy. Ollie ducked his head into that room for a look, but he was m ore interested in the size of the tub in the master bath, which he laid down in, the shower, which he hid inside of, and the bed, which he bounced upon.

“Look how high I’m going, Adam!”

“Yeah,” Adam said worriedly. “That doesn’t look safe.”

Ollie grinned. “It’s fun.”

But he let Adam catch him and put him on the floor. Adam sat on the edge of the mattress and watched Ollie explore every horizontal surface. His eyes lit up when he found Adam’s jewelry box. He looked at Adam with such hope that Adam couldn’t deny him.

Adam brought the jewelry box over to the bed and placed it between them as they both leaned against pillows stacked in front of the headboard. Ollie took every single item out of the box and tried each one of them on. At one point he had about ten chains around his neck and a ring on every other finger.

Ollie’s most common question was, “What’s this?” and Adam would explain the meaning behind the symbol, or tell Ollie what kind of stone it was.

When they returned to the living room Adam expected Ollie to take him up on his offer to explore, but he must’ve been satisfied for the moment because he climbed back onto the sofa next to Tommy. Adam sat when Ollie patted the spot beside him.

It took Adam a couple of seconds to realize that the television was still on Sprout. “I can’t believe you’re still watching this,” he said.

Tommy blinked owlishly. “It’s good,” he said.

Adam laughed. “You fell asleep.”

They followed the adventures of Caillou until Ollie said, “I’m hungry.”

Adam checked the time. Not lunch time yet, but he didn’t know if Ollie had eaten before he’d come over or not. “Did you eat breakfast?”

“Yes.”

“Shall we see what snacks your dad brought?”

Ollie scrambled off the couch and led the way out to the entry where they’d left the bags when they’d gone off on their tour. Ollie went through the packed snacks, discarding each one until he came upon a baggie of trail mix, which he held up triumphantly. Ollie ate the trail mix ensconced back on the couch between Adam and Tommy. When he was done, Ollie held out the snack bag for Adam to reseal and wiped his fingers on his jeans.

“Do you have a pool?”

“Yes,” Adam said warily. “But it’s not just mine, I share it with everyone who lives in the building.”

“Everyone?” Ollie said, as if he couldn’t comprehend it.

“Yep.”

“Can we go swimming?”

“Are you part fish?” Adam asked.

Ollie giggled. “Yes!”

“I don’t know if your dad thought to pack your swim trunks,” Adam said. Or swimmies. “I don’t think he knows we have a pool.”

Ollie looked so disappointed that Adam couldn’t stand it. “Let’s check,” he said, and Ollie eagerly agreed.

Adam actually felt bad when they had all Ollie’s extra clothes laid out and there wasn’t a swim suit or pair of shorts among them. “We’ll make sure your dad packs a swim suit next time you come over,” Adam said.

Ollie leaned against Adam’s arm while he repacked the bag and just nodded. “Can we go see it?” he asked.

“The pool?”

Ollie nodded.

“Even though you can’t go in it?”

Ollie nodded again.

“Okay,” Adam agreed. “Go get Tommy.”

Ollie whooped and ran into the living room to drag Tommy out while Adam checked to make sure he had his keys, wallet and swipe card.

“Ollie wants to look at the pool,” Adam explained when Ollie and Tommy emerged from the living room.

They rode the elevator up to the roof after Adam used his card to bypass the last floor. Ollie’s mouth hung open when the doors opened onto the glass enclosed Olympic-sized pool.

“How come it’s inside?” Ollie asked.

“So people can use it year round,” Adam told him. “The sides open in the summer, and the roof retracts.”

Because Adam was a sucker for Ollie’s puppy eyes, they removed their shoes and rolled up their pants, and dangled their feet in the water. Unsurprisingly, Ollie’s pants got soaked as he put more and more of his legs in the water. He scooped up water with his fingers and flicked it at Tommy. Adam laughed until he received the same treatment.

Finally Ollie started to wind down. He leaned his face against Adam’s arm. “I’m hungry.”

“Okay, let’s go find something to eat,” Adam said. He dried off his feet and put his shoes back on. He also dried off Ollie’s feet and legs, but didn’t bother with the shoes since they had to change his jeans anyway. Adam picked Ollie up and Ollie tucked his fact into Adam’s neck.

Back in Adam’s condo, Ollie changed into dry pants and then he and Adam stared into the refrigerator. Lunch ended up being half a turkey sandwich on wheat, yogurt, and an apple that Adam sliced to make it easier to eat. After lunch, Adam put in one of the DVDs Kris had brought and Ollie fell asleep watching it.

Kris smiled when he stepped into the living room and saw Tommy and Ollie.

“Hey,” Tommy said, his coolness factor diminished by the tiny head lying on his leg.

“Tommy’s hooked on Caillou now,” Adam said, and Kris laughed softly.

Ollie shifted in his sleep, but he didn’t wake up.

“Thank you again,” Kris said, heartfelt.

“You’re welcome. Again,” Adam said. He pulled Kris in with one arm and dropped a kiss to the top of his head.

Kris smiled up at Adam, but before he could say anything, Ollie woke up. “Daddy,” he said sleepily, reaching for Kris.

Kris slipped between Tommy’s legs and the coffee table and bent down to lift Ollie into his arms. Ollie curled into Kris, wrapped his arms around Kris’ neck and tucked his face into Kris’ throat. “Did you have fun?” Kris said softly, his hand rubbing up and down Ollie’s back.

Ollie nodded, but he didn’t release Kris.

“Ready to go home?”

Ollie nodded again.

Adam helped Kris carry the bags down to his car and waited while Kris got Ollie buckled into his seat.

“How’d your meeting go?” Adam asked.

“Good,” Kris said, looking surprised, as if he’d forgotten about it already. “I think it went really well. We’ll talk about it later?”

“Of course,” Adam said. “Get him home.”

Kris smiled. He touched Adam’s arm and brushed a kiss across his lips, and then he was gone.

Tommy’s eyes were closed when Adam got back up to his condo. He flopped down onto the couch beside him. “That was exhausting,” Adam said.

Tommy grunted his agreement.

Adam closed his own eyes. Tommy and Ollie had the right idea – a nap was definitely in order.

~*~

Adam’s mom woke him the next morning. Adam stared blurrily at the screen before answer. “Mom?”

“I didn’t know you had a love child,” Leila said. “You need to tell me these things, Adam.”

“What?” Adam said.

“I sent you a link,” Leila said, not even trying to hide the smile in her voice.

Adam found the Twitter link and clicked on it. “Oh my god,” he said. “Oh my god. Kris is going to kill me.”

There was a photo of Adam holding Ollie with Tommy standing beside them. It was from yesterday afternoon and they were headed back to the elevator after spending some time at the pool. The caption below it read _@adamlambert, @TommyJoeRatliff and their love child?_

“Shit,” Adam said. “I need to call Kris before he sees this.”

Adam disconnected and dialed Kris. Who sounded way too awake for this early in the morning.

“I have a kid to get ready for school,” Kris reminded Adam when he said as much. “Ollie thinks everyday should be a holiday.”

“Sounds nice,” Adam said distractedly. “How’s Zoe?”

“Doing better, I think,” Kris said. “What’s up? Isn’t this kind of early for you?”

“Mom called,” Adam said. “She sent me a link. I just sent it to you. I’m so, so sorry!”

Kris was silent for so long that Adam panicked. “Kris? Kris, I really am sorry, I’ll get to the bottom of this, I swear . . . .”

“Adam,” Kris said. “I’m not mad at you. I appreciate you giving me a heads up, but can we talk about this after I get Ollie to school?”

“Yes, of course,” Adam said.

Kris hadn’t sounded mad, but Adam was still worried. He went to the gym and jogged three miles on the treadmill, then sent off an e-mail to the management after he’d taken a shower. Because of the number of famous people who lived in the condo, a violation of their privacy was a no-no.

By the time Adam followed the link again, there were a dozen @replies, most of them asking for clarification on when and where the photo was taken, and just how in love had Adam and Tommy looked. It had already been retweeted sixty-four times. Adam sighed and closed the browser before he did something he’d regret.

Adam checked the peephole before throwing the door open to admit Kris. He was more thrown than he’d realized by the photo getting out. He was used to paps catching him when he was doing something as mundane as filling up his gas tank or out for a run, and he and his friends tweeted photos of themselves all the time, but his was different because it was _Ollie_.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said again.

Kris gave him a bemused look. “It’s really not your fault.”

“It is!” Adam said.

“Did you tweet the picture?”

“No!” Adam said. “But he was with me when it happened. He was my responsibility and I . . . .”

Kris reached out and slid his hand down Adam’s arm. “Adam. Breathe.” Kris took his hand and held it between both of his.

Adam took a deep breath, and then another. “I just, I know you’ve been trying to keep him out of the public eye, and you leave him with me for a couple hours and . . . .”

“Adam,” Kris said again. “Come on, let’s go sit down.”

Adam let Kris lead him to the living room and guide him down onto the couch. Kris sat beside him, close enough that their legs touched, and he kept Adam’s hand in one of his, resting their clasped hands on his own leg.

“Yes,” Kris said. “I was keeping Ollie out of the public eye as much as I could, but that was really just the default. The paps stopped paying attention to me, and by extension, Ollie. I mean, when he was born, his picture was all over Twitter thanks to Katy. And our friends,” Kris added less bitterly.

“Yeah, but . . . .”

“Besides, they don’t even know his name,” Kris said. “The person posting the photo has no clue who he even is.”

“Yeah, but . . . .”

“Plus, they think he’s yours and Tommy’s love child,” Kris said dryly. “So I think we’re safe. They’ll never even imagine he’s mine.”

“Oh god,” Adam said, covering his face with his free hand.

Kris laughed. “Seriously, man, stop worrying about it.”

Kris stayed for a couple hours, talking Adam down off the ledge, but then he had to leave. He was sitting in on a session at the studio to listen to some of the musicians the label wanted him to use even though he’d prefer to play as many of the instruments as he could himself.

After Kris left, Adam opened his Twitter app and read the new @replies to the photo of him with Ollie and Tommy. It was like picking a scab – Adam couldn’t let it go. There was one brave soul (or a troll, sometimes Adam couldn’t tell the difference) who dared to mention Ollie’s resemblance to Kris, adding the hashtag #kradamisreal. Adam groaned, but kept reading. It was like a train wreck; he couldn’t pull his eyes away from it.

~*~

“So,” Kris said one day. “I worked up the courage to read the @replies to the ‘love child’ tweet.”

Adam ducked his head and groaned, “Oh god.”

“Tommy’s a troll,” Kris said lightly.

“He really is,” Adam said, knowing exactly what tweet Kris was talking about. Tommy’s seemingly innocent _thanks for the great time yesterday @adamlambert_ tweet.

“A dirty enabler,” Kris said.

“Evil,” Adam agreed, and they both laughed.

Though there had been no further sightings of Adam with Ollie, or with Tommy, for that matter, a certain section of his fans weren’t letting it die. Adam almost wished he could tell them all the truth, but that would open another can of worms. One Adam would find more difficult to ignore because the speculation it would fan would hit too close to home.

~*~

One of Simon Fuller’s assistants called on a Monday to schedule a photoshoot. At this point they hadn’t yet announced that Adam and Kris were going to be the mentor team for the upcoming season, but they’d been throwing out hints that something big was happening just to get people talking.

Adam loved photoshoots. He loved the clothes and the make-up and just the whole experience. On the other hand, he knew that Kris hated them. “I just don’t feel comfortable,” Kris had told him once. “The camera loves you,” Adam reminded him before this photoshoot, which made Kris laugh.

The photoshoot turned out to be a lot of fun. It reminded Adam of the interviews and photoshoots they’d done back during Idol. Sometimes Kris gave him a soft smile and Adam thought that Kris was remembering those days, too, when they’d first fallen in love and everything had been bright.

When the first promos hit the airwaves, Kris and Adam were shown in shadow along with a lot of other clips from previous seasons, including clips of the new judging panel. It took people a while to figure out that there were shadow figures in the promo, and then the speculation about who it might be really took off.

One enterprising fan matched up the shadows with photos of Kris and Adam and guessed that it might be them, but everyone involved was under a gag order, so when Adam was asked via Twitter if he was returning to Idol, all he said was, _I have fond memories of Idol. If they asked, I’d be there in a heartbeat._

~*~

“I’m making dinner,” Ollie announced one day when Adam arrived at the house and found him in the living room.

“What are you making?” Adam asked.

“Lasagna,” Ollie replied as he checked the empty oven.

Not empty, Adam revised as Ollie grabbed what used to be a kitchen towel and used it as an oven mitt. He pulled out an empty metal pan and sat it on top of the stove.

“Gotta let it cool,” Ollie told Adam seriously.

Adam had to stifle a smile, especially when he glanced over at Kris and saw him doing the same.

“It smells good,” Kris said.

“Thank you,” Ollie said, and Adam had to bite his lip.

“Can I, can I help with anything? Setting the table?” Adam asked.

“No, I got it,” Ollie said. “You guys sit down,” he demanded as he carried over the plates and cups and started setting them out on the coffee table. “I’m using these,” he told Adam shyly.

Adam recognized the plates and cups from the tea set he’d gotten Ollie for his birthday. “I see that,” Adam said. “I’m glad you’re able to use them.”

“I use them all the time,” Ollie informed Adam.

Adam sat down on the couch with Kris beside him. He glanced around at the living room, which didn’t look as unwelcoming with Ollie’s toys scattered about. Adam’s attention returned to Ollie when he carried over the pan and dished up the (pretend) lasagna.

“What do you want to drink?” Ollie asked them.

“Milk,” Kris said immediately.

Adam seconded that and Ollie poured from an invisible milk container.

“I have bread, too,” Ollie said, getting it out of the oven and placing it on their plates.

“This is really good,” Adam said, taking a bite of the lasagna.

Kris agreed. Soon they were done eating (as decreed by Ollie) and Ollie brought out the dessert – little cupcakes and pieces of pie that had come with the tea set. While they ate, Ollie regaled them with tales from school and the play date he’d had with Riff.

After ‘dinner’, Ollie got out his favorite book, ‘A Treasury of Curious George’, and climbed into Adam’s lap so he could read to him.

“We need to clean this up,” Kris reminded Ollie.

Without looking away from the page he jabbed an impatient finger at so Adam would start reading already, Ollie said, “I cooked, you haveta clean up.”

Adam bit back a snort.

Kris blinked. “I guess I can’t argue with that.”

“Help,” Kris said, sounding like he was dragging.

“What’s wrong?” Adam said immediately.

“Ollie and I were discussing Halloween costumes. Well, I was discussing, he wasn’t speaking to me.”

Ollie had been invited to a children’s Halloween Party at the Cherry’s, and in lieu of traipsing around LA, Adam had offered up some of the people in his condo he knew were looking forward to the night.

“Why not?” Adam said. “I thought he was looking forward to it.”

“So did I,” Kris said. “He doesn’t want to go as anything I suggested, and he won’t give me any ideas, and frankly, I’m out of ‘em.”

“You want me to talk to him?” Adam said, his heart thumping for reasons he didn’t want to explore too deeply.

“Would you?” Kris said, with a little bit of a pleading whine.

Adam laughed. “I’d be happy to. Do you want me to come over now, or should we give him a break from talking about it?”

“You can come over any time you want,” Kris said with a casualness that made Adam blush. “But maybe we should hold off on bugging him about it. Though maybe I’m the only one bugging him. And we don’t have a lot of time before the party.”

Kris sighed, and Adam imagined him pushing his fingers through his hair. “Can you come over?”

“Yes, of course.”

When Adam stepped into the house he didn’t know who was happier to see him. Kris gave him a grateful look and squeezed the hand he’d taken to pull Adam into the entry. Ollie yelled Adam’s name as he ran down the hallway and then tried to climb Adam like a tree.

“Do you do this to your Dad?” Adam said as he helped Ollie up to sit on his hip.

“No,” Ollie said, giving Kris a sly look. “He’s too short.”

“Too short?” Kris said, and then tickled Ollie until he was laughing and squirming so hard Adam almost dropped him.

“I think your Daddy’s perfect just the way he is,” Adam said, dropping a kiss on Kris’ head.

“Thank you,” Kris said. He stuck his tongue out at Ollie and then gave Adam a look he tried not to read too much into.

Just then Zoe came down the stairs. She looked surprised to see Adam for a second, but then she smiled. It was a knowing smile, but Adam didn’t know what it was she thought she knew. They greeted each other warmly and Zoe reached out to tickle Ollie’s side.

“Are you going out?” Adam asked.

“Yep, movies,” Zoe said. “Kris gave me the night off. Unless you need me to stay . . . ?”

“No,” Kris said. “Go, enjoy yourself.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Zoe said with a smile she couldn’t quite hide. “You boys have fun now.”

“Well,” Kris said after the door closed behind her, sliding his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “I should . . . I mean, I could . . . .” He gave Adam a ‘help me’ look.

“You go take care of whatever you need to,” Adam said, rescuing him. “Ollie’ll keep me company, won’t you?”

“Yes!”

Kris wandered off down the hall and Adam wondered if he really had something to do or if he was going to have to find something to occupy himself so he didn’t give in to the temptation of eavesdropping. Adam set Ollie down and let himself be dragged into the living room. Once they got there, though, Ollie seemed at a loss.

“Wanna read?” Adam said.

Ollie shook his head.

“Wanna have a tea party?”

“No.”

Adam’s gaze landed on the small table where a couple of coloring books and a box of crayons were laid out. “Wanna color?”

Ollie sighed. “Okay.”

Adam eyed the tiny chairs dubiously and considered suggesting they move this over to the coffee table where Adam could at least sit on the couch, but Ollie had already sat in one of the chairs and was eyeing Adam expectantly. Adam straddled the chair, lowering himself gingerly until he felt the seat under his butt, and even then he only put his full weight on it very cautiously, expecting it to give out underneath him any second.

When he was satisfied, Adam looked across the table. Instead of saying anything about how Adam’s knees were higher than the table, Ollie just slid one of the books towards Adam. “You can have this one.”

They were silent for a few minutes, choosing the pictures they wanted to color, and picking out crayons. Adam watched Ollie color his picture with an intense concentration, the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth, reminding Adam so much of Kris in that moment.

Speaking of Kris. “Your dad says you don’t know what you want to be for Halloween yet.”

Ollie shrugged.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Okay.”

A couple minutes later Ollie said, “Lisa’s gonna be a princess.”

“Okay.”

“I wanted to be a dragon,” Ollie said morosely.

“And you don’t think you can be a dragon now?”

Ollie shook his head.

“Why not?”

“Because dragons don’t save princesses,” Ollie said.

“Ah. But they do capture the princesses, and sometimes the princess falls in love with the dragon.”

Ollie gave Adam a skeptical look.

“I swear!” Adam said, drawing the form of the cross over his heart with his finger.

“So, is that what you want to be?” Adam said carefully when Ollie didn’t respond right away.

“The costumes I saw all looked like babies. I don’t want to look like a baby. Or Barney,” Ollie said.

“You don’t think Barney looks like he could capture, or protect, a princess?”

Ollie gave him a look.

“I don’t know,” Adam said. “I bet Barney has _moves_.”

Ollie tried to hide his smile behind a glare.

“Let’s check out the costumes so I can see what you mean,” Adam said, slipping his phone out of his pocket. He Googled ‘dragon costumes’ and tapped the images.

“Oh, dear,” Adam said as he scrolled through the photos. “I see what you mean.”

Adam went back to one of the costumes that had been better than the rest. “Okay, what about this?” Adam said. “Keep an open mind, I know this one’s for a girl, but if we did it in black? Maybe with the blue?”

Ollie took the phone from Adam and looked at the screen.

“You’d totally look like a bada–, uh, big bad dragon, capable of capturing his princess and taking her back to his lair.”

Ollie grinned at Adam, then looked back down at the screen. “Do you think we could find one like that?”

“Find it? We could make it!” Adam said. “Well, Cassidy could.”

“Can we call him?” Ollie said excitedly.

“We should probably let your dad know first,” Adam said, wondering if his eardrums had been punctured when Ollie called out, “Dad! Dad!"

Kris showed up almost immediately. “What?” he said, snorting when he saw Adam sitting at the low table.

“I wanna be a dragon!” Ollie slid out of his chair and ran over to Kris, handing Adam’s phone to him.

Kris touched the screen and schooled his expression. “That’s . . . a very cool costume,” he told Ollie.

“In black. And blue,” Ollie went on, oblivious to Kris’ thoughts. “Cassidy is going to make it.”

“We’ll ask Cassidy if your dad says it’s okay,” Adam gently reminded Ollie.

“Is it okay?” Ollie asked, leaning against Kris’ leg and tipping his head back to look up at him.

“Yes,” Kris said, sliding his hand over Ollie’s head. “The red is nice, too.”

Ollie gave Kris a look, and then spread his arms out and ran around the room. “I’m a dragon!” he said in response to their unasked question. He stopped long enough to breath on the curtains. “I just set the curtains on fire,” he informed them.

“Thank you,” Kris told Ollie. He shrugged at Adam. “They were ugly anyway.”

Adam couldn’t argue.

Suddenly Ollie stopped and announced, “I’m hungry.”

“There’s mac and cheese in the oven,” Kris told him. “And I’m gonna do burgers on the grill. Dragons cannot live on mac and cheese alone,” he added at Ollie’s look. “And I made a salad for you,” Kris told Adam.

Adam did not feel warm all over at that. (And he did not eat a huge helping of Kris’ mac and cheese despite the large salad because Kris’ mac and cheese was the best ever.)

Kris walked over to Adam and handed back his cell phone, then helped Adam out of the chair. “Thank you,” Kris said low enough that Ollie, back to being a dragon, couldn’t hear.

“It was all about a girl,” Adam explained. “And this.” He showed Kris the other costume photos.

“Oh,” Kris said with understanding.

Instead of the shorter leg-warmer type leggings shown in the photo, Cassidy made a pair of black breaches in a fake leather that got tucked into a pair of black boots. ‘Spines’ ran down the side of the breaches and the boots. He made a sleeveless shirt with fake leather straps cris-crossing over the front, and gauntlets with ‘spines’ from the same material. The hood was made out of a lighter, satiny material.

Adam went over bright and early the morning of Ollie’s Halloween Party at school. Once Ollie was in his costume, Adam took a bunch of photos. He wasn’t alone, both Kris and Zoe had their phones out, too. Adam was tempted to say yes when Kris asked if he wanted to ride along when he dropped Ollie off at school.

Reluctantly, Adam said, “I should get going.”

Both Ollie and Kris looked disappointed at that, but Kris just said, “Okay. Ollie, tell Adam thank you.”

“Thank you, Adam,” Ollie said dutifully, and then he gave Adam a spontaneous hug.

“Yes, thank you,” Kris said. He brushed a kiss to Adam’s cheek and then he was gone.

Adam very purposely didn’t glance at Zoe. “Well, I should get going.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said. “See you later.”

Adam did not miss the smile in her voice.

~*~

The Halloween Party at Lee and Scarlet’s went very well. Ollie met some more children and bobbed for apples while Kris held his hood and ate too many donuts and drank too much cider. Adam and Kris hung out with the adults and also ate too much. They were all feeling a little worse for wear when they left and Ollie fell asleep on the drive home. He didn’t stir when Kris got him out of the car, and barely twitched when Kris removed the costume and covered him with a blanket.

“What about you?” Kris said later, after they’d both finished a glass of water hoping to flush out their bodies. “Are you going to a big Halloween party this year?”

“No,” Adam said, and was surprised that there was no pang of disappointment. He’d been invited to several, but had been too busy with Kris and Ollie, and arranging for Ollie’s costume, to even think about it. “I’ve got other plans.”

Kris blushed as he smiled at Adam. When he was leaving, Kris pulled Adam into a hug. Just before it got uncomfortable (Adam’s body did not want to pay any attention to his brain), Kris released him. He gave Adam a light kiss to the corner of his lips before stepping back.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Adam said dumbly, resisting the urge to reach up and touch his mouth.

“For being here,” Kris said.

~*~

Ollie got dressed into his costume at Adam’s condo on Halloween. Together he and Kris took Ollie around to the people Adam knew were participating in Trick-or-Treat. Kelly’s eyes lit up when she opened the door and saw Adam standing there. She was dressed as a spider, which was a surprise to Adam. Her gaze fell onto Ollie.

“Oh! Is this the ‘love child’?” she teased.

“I’m a dragon,” Ollie informed her.

“And a very handsome dragon, too.”

“This is Ollie,” Adam said. “And he’s a dragon. And I don’t know if you’ve met Kris?”

“I haven’t,” Kelly said, holding out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you, you, too.”

“And you, Ollie!dragon,” Kelly said, offering Ollie her hand.

After they shook, Kelly stepped back. “Come into my parlor,” she intoned, then pressed a button on her side to make the legs on her back move.

“How’d you do that?” Ollie asked, intrigued, as he followed Kelly into her condo.

An hour later they were all in a sugar coma because Ollie had ‘shared’ all the candy he didn’t like with them. Ollie fell asleep while a movie played in the background and Adam and Kris talked softly.

“Don’t drag him out,” Adam said. “I’ve got a guest room.”

Kris gave Adam a long look before agreeing. Kris carried Ollie and followed Adam. Adam watched while Kris got Ollie ready for bed and tucked him in. After they turned off the television and threw out the empty wrappers, Adam led Kris up to his bedroom.

“The bed’s big enough,” he assured Kris, “and we’ve shared before.”

Adam very valiantly tried not to think about what they’d done when they’d previously shared a bed. Adam got out a new toothbrush for Kris after taking care of his own nightly bathroom routine. They both stripped down and climbed under the covers. Adam managed to stay on his own side of the bed even when Kris reached across the space separating them and took Adam’s hand.

Adam woke when the mattress dipped in the middle of the night and Ollie crawled up the bed. Adam raised the sheets and helped Ollie climb under them.

“You okay?” Kris asked sleepily.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Ollie said as he snuggled into Kris’ side.

With his brain still half asleep, Adam reached out and curled his arm around Kris and Ollie. Kris draped his arm over Adam’s and they all fell back to sleep.

~*~

“We’ve got something for you,” Kris said.

“Dad!”

“Excuse me. _Ollie_ has something for you,” Kris corrected.

“Really?” Adam said.

Ollie nodded excitedly.

“What is it?”

“Can I give it to him now, Dad, please?”

“Yes,” Kris said. “Be careful, don’t bend it.”

“I _won’t_ ,” Ollie said, as if this had been an ongoing thing, and then ran out of the living room.

Kris rolled his eyes. “He totally will.”

Adam grinned. “Do I get a hint?”

“He’d kill me,” Kris said.

“You didn’t tell him, did you?” Ollie said as he raced back into the living room.

“I didn’t tell him,” Kris assured Ollie.

Adam tried to see what Ollie had brought, but he held it behind his back. When he reached Adam, Ollie whipped it out with a flourish.

“Have you been hanging out with Brad?” Adam asked.

Ollie giggled. “No.”

“Oh my gosh!” Adam said when he got a look at what he now held in his hand. “Your school picture!”

Ollie draped himself over Adam’s lap so he could look at the picture, as well. “Do you like it?”

“I _love_ it!” Adam said. He rubbed Ollie’s back. “Thank you.”

“Read the back,” Ollie instructed.

Adam turned the photo over. In the upper right corner Kris had written Ollie’s name and the date. In different colors of crayon Ollie had very carefully printed out, _To Adam, Love Ollie_. Adam was hit with a wave of emotion so strong he had to blink back tears.

“What’s wrong?” Ollie asked.

“Nothing,” Adam said, afraid to look at Kris. “I’m just really happy.”

“Okay,” Ollie said skeptically.

“Know what would make me even happier?”

“What?”

“A hug.”

Ollie wrinkled up his nose, but he didn’t protest when Adam pulled him up onto his lap and wrapped him up in his arms and plastered kisses all over his face. Ollie finally stilled Adam by placing his hands on either side of Adam’s face.

“Can we play volcano?”

“Absolutely,” Adam said, ignoring Kris’ snort. “How do we do that?”

“I’m gonna go put the pizza in the oven,” Kris said as he pushed himself off the couch. He pressed a kiss to Ollie’s head. “Behave yourself.” And then to Adam’s. “You’re a glutton for punishment,” he said with a smile.

Kris returned a few minutes later to Ollie swimming in the ‘hot lava’ as he called it, and Adam flying on a make-believe helicopter to rescue him.

“I hope you’re staying for supper,” Kris said.

Adam glanced over to see Kris leaning against the doorframe watching them.

“We’re having pizza,” Ollie reminded Adam as he swam towards Adam’s legs.

“And I made a salad,” Kris said.

“Yuck,” Ollie said, laughing when Adam gave him an exaggerated look of ‘what?’

“Salad is _awesome_ ,” Adam said. “I’m gonna dunk you in the hot lava for saying otherwise.”

“It’ll burn your hand,” Ollie informed him.

“What about you?”

“I’m a lava monster,” Ollie said. “I live in the hot lava.”

“A lava monster! I thought I was rescuing you.”

“Lava monsters eat helicopters,” Ollie said very seriously.

“Of course they do,” Adam said. “Well this is a special helicopter to pull lava monsters out of the lava and weaken them.”

“Help, Daddy!” Ollie said as Adam grabbed his hand and started to raise him off the floor.

Adam darted a look behind him to see that Kris had dropped to his hands and knees and was crawling towards them. Adam giggled to cover up the inappropriate thrill that went through him at the sight of Kris on his hands and knees. It was distressingly easy for Kris and Ollie to drag Adam into the hot lava with them.

“Thank god you’re here!” Kris said breathlessly when he threw open the door and dragged Adam inside. Before Adam could ask why, a roar from the living room made Kris gasp and cry out, “Oh, no, save me!”

Ollie appeared in the hallway with a scowl on his face, his hands raised and his fingers curled into claws.

“A dinosaur,” Kris explained in an aside to Adam.

“I’m a T-Rex,” Ollie corrected, not losing the growl.

“Oh, no,” Adam repeated Kris’ exclamation from moments before, biting back a chuckle at the dichotomy presented by Ollie dressed in slacks and a button down shirt, his hair combed and parted, one bit sticking up defiantly despite Kris’ best efforts, playing dinosaur.

“We should probably get out of here before the dinosaur gets us,” Adam said.

“No!” Ollie squealed, closing the distance between them at a run. He grabbed Adam around the leg and then dropped down to sit on his foot. “Carry me!”

Adam carried Ollie over to the coat closet where Kris was getting out their jackets. Kris dropped Ollie’s onto his head and shrugged into his own.

“Dad!” Ollie dragged the jacket off his head and gave Kris a look as he reached up to aggressively fix his hair, which only put it in more disarray.

Each time Adam though he couldn’t love Ollie more he did something innocuous that set him more firmly and deeply in Adam’s heart. Adam hefted Ollie to his feet, then squatted down so he could help him into his jacket. After it was zipped up, Adam smoothed down Ollie’s hair.

Kris gave Adam a look that said he knew exactly what Adam was feeling, but Ollie remained oblivious to the emotion Adam was getting all over the place and merely growled and played dinosaur all the way to the car. Kris put Ollie’s seat in Adam’s car, and Adam drove them over to his mom’s for an early Thanksgiving dinner before Kris and Ollie flew back to Arkansas for the holiday.

Kris hugged Leila and gave her the bottle of wine he’d brought. “Adam said Italian, so I hope this is alright.”

Lasagna, to be specific. Adam really hoped it was Stouffers.

Neil had flown out to spend the week in LA, and Adam spent most of the dinner avoiding his knowing looks. It was safe to say that Leila, like Adam, adored Ollie. After dinner and wine and coffee and dessert, she shed her heels and played dinosaur with Ollie. She showed her evil side when Ollie said to her, “Let’s both be dinosaurs,” and together they went after Adam, Kris and Neil.

~*~

Kris declined Adam’s offer to drive them to the airport due to the ungodly early hour they were leaving, but shyly suggested that Adam could pick them up when they returned to LA on Sunday, if he wanted to.

Adam wanted to. And even more so after five days without Kris and Ollie. They texted everyday while Kris was gone, and talked a couple of times (once early enough for Ollie to speak with Adam, and once after Ollie had gone to bed), and it wasn’t as if Adam just sat alone in an empty condo *pining* (no matter what Brad said), but Adam felt like he was going through withdrawal by the time he met Kris and Ollie at LAX and swept them both up in his arms. Ollie clung to him, and Adam didn’t think he was imagining things when Kris did a little bit, too.

The next couple of weeks went by fast. Too fast, because Adam was going to have to deal with ten empty days when Kris and Ollie went back to Arkansas for Christmas. Adam did a last minute frenzy of shopping. His family wasn’t religious, but they still celebrated Hanukkah. Plus, he desperately wanted to get a nice gift for both Kris and Ollie.

And then there were the parties. Several industry parties which Kris and Adam attended together because it was easier than driving separately. And Danielle’s Happy Hanukkah-Solstice-Christmas-Kwanzaa Party.

When Kris apologized for leaving Ollie with Zoe for yet another party, Zoe said, “Please, I’m finally earning my pay.” She looked at Adam. “He hires a nanny, and then does all the work himself.”

“I don’t expect you to raise my child,” Kris said, managing to sound both scandalized and embarrassed.

Adam drove them to Danielle’s. It wasn’t the first time Kris had seen Brad and Tommy, Lee and Scarlet, and Alisans and Danielle since his return to LA, but it was the first time for most of the others. Kris gave Adam a look when he made it obvious that he was sticking close to him.

“Don’t worry, Mother Hen,” Brad said. “I’ll keep an eye on your boy.”

“You’re actually who I’m worried about,” Adam said.

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Brad said. “You know I like myself a big raging top.”

Adam didn’t know who blushed harder, him or Kris.

“Oh, you two are just too cute,” Brad cooed.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Adam said, then gave up with Brad and turned to Kris. “Be careful if he offers you any vile colored drinks.”

Kris laughed. “Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”

“I am.” Adam shuddered.

Adam touched Kris’ arm and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Stay on guard. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Kris laughed, and Brad swatted at Adam. “Oh my god, you big melodramatic drama queen!”

“Isn’t that redundant?” Kris asked as Adam moved away from them. “A melodramatic drama queen?”

Adam used the restroom, and freshened his drink, and got stopped by a dozen people on his way back to Kris. It wasn’t that Adam didn’t like the other people at Danielle’s party (heck, most of them were his friends, too), but it felt like there was some irresistible force drawing the two of them together, and each time Adam caught Kris’ gaze across the room the invisible magnetic force grew stronger.

Adam’s drink was gone by the time he reached Kris, who was alone. “Brad desert you?” he asked.

“He went for another drink,” Kris said. “I’m good.” Kris gestured with the hand that held his half-full glass of . . . something.

“Are you gonna finish that?”

“It’s pretty watered down by now,” Kris warned as he handed Adam his glass.

Adam took a sip and wrinkled his nose to Kris’ delight. Still, it was wet and sort of cool and better than nothing, so Adam took another sip.

“I didn’t think I’d ever make it back here,” Adam said, knowing he sounded every bit the drama queen Brad had labeled him.

“You poor baby,” Kris teased. “It must’ve been awful for you.”

Adam didn’t miss the flush rising on Kris’ cheeks, but he manfully ignored it. “Harrowing,” he said, and felt his heart expand when Kris laughed.

When they’d both recovered from a sudden fit of the giggles, Kris tipped his head back and raised his eyes to the ceiling. Adam’s gaze followed. His tongue grew two sizes too big for his mouth.

“Kristopher, you’re standing under mistletoe.”

Kris sighed. “I am. And no one’s taken me up on it yet.”

Adam’s heart leapt in his chest. “That’s . . . hard to believe,” Adam finished stupidly.

“I know, right?” Kris said, flush deepening. “I mean, who wouldn’t want a piece of this?”

“I can’t imagine,” Adam said breathlessly.

“You could put me out of my misery,” Kris suggested, and Adam was reminded just how sneaky he could be.

“I could,” Adam said. “People might get ideas.” And by people, Adam meant himself.

“They could,” Kris said. “And I’d be okay with that.”

Adam’s heart skipped a beat and he found himself leaning into Kris, as if his body had taken control away from his brain. Just a small kiss, Adam told himself as Kris rose to meet him. It didn’t have to mean anything. Adam brushed his lips across Kris’, a dry chaste press that didn’t have to mean anything more than what it was.

Before Adam could pull away (or attempt to, given that his body appeared to be rebelling against his conscious mind), Kris slipped his hand around the back of Adam’ s neck and pulled him in for another kiss, this one deeper and involving a lot more tongue than the first one had.

Adam had one brief moment when he thought, we shouldn’t be doing this, and then all he knew was the taste of Kris, and the feel of him. His knees went weak and it was a good thing that Kris was leaning against the wall (and by extension, Adam, since he’d pressed Kris more firmly against it until it didn’t seem there was an inch of their bodies not touching), otherwise they’d have ended up on the floor.

They broke the kiss to breathe. Adam thought about stepping back, but he couldn’t have even if he could make his body cooperate, because Kris’ hand was still a firm possessive hold on his neck, and his other hand had made itself at home on Adam’s back and was urging Adam even closer, as if they could possibly get any closer than they already were.

Kris bit Adam’s lip and they were kissing again, only broken apart this time by Brad’s, “Get a room!” and the good-natured laughter that followed.

Kris’ smile was a little bit shy and a whole lot pleased with himself.

“Here, you guys need to cool off,” Danielle said, handing each of them a bottle of water. “And thank you for spicing up the party,” she said with an evil grin that said better than words that there were definitely pictures, and probably video.

“Danielle,” Adam said warningly.

Danielle raised her hands in a ‘don’t look at me’ gesture. “Hey, this isn’t Vegas, you know,” and then she gave them both a kiss because mistletoe.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” Adam said to Kris.

Kris rubbed Adam’s back with the hand still resting there. “Yes.”

Yes. Adam didn’t know what that _meant_!

Kris removed his hand long enough to twist off the cap on his water bottle. He traded it for Adam’s and twisted off that cap before stuffing both caps into the front pocket of his slacks. As soon as his hand was empty, Kris put it back onto Adam’s lower back.

“I feel like, um . . . .” Adam stopped because he didn’t know what he was going to say.

“Yeah, me, too,” Kris said with a soft smile that made Adam’s insides melt.

Kris tipped his head back and took several large gulps of water before lowering the bottle and licking his lips. Adam had been transfixed by the sight of Kris’ throat working, and couldn’t keep his gaze from Kris’ tongue. Kris gave Adam a slightly smug look that said he knew exactly what he was thinking.

“We should probably mingle,” Kris said, sounding reluctant to leave their spot under the mistletoe.

Adam had to clear his throat before he could answer. “Yeah. Probably. If we stay here they’ll expect another show.”

If he sounded as if his brain was offline, that’s because it was. Very much so. Still, Kris smiled at his attempted humor and then pulled him away from the wall.

They mingled. Kris never left Adam’s side, and more often than not his hand was on Adam’s back, or his arm, and on one memorable occasion it slipped down to his hip. Adam figured he should be used to having inappropriate reactions around Kris by now.

It was very late when they pulled into Kris’ driveway. Kris apologized for not inviting Adam in, saying something about too much temptation and not rushing him, and then he kissed Adam goodbye for fifteen minutes.

And Adam still had no idea what he _meant_.

Before Kris and Ollie flew back to Arkansas for Christmas, Adam invited them over for dinner so he could give them the gifts he’d gotten for them. Adam didn’t tell either of them that there were presents until after dinner. Ollie would’ve been pestering to open presents and Kris would’ve told him that he didn’t have to do that, which Adam already knew, but he _wanted_ to, okay?

After they cleaned up the dinner dishes (which included Ollie insisting that he wanted to wash them and Adam pulling a chair up to the sink while Kris rolled up Ollie’s sleeves), Adam announced that there were presents. Ollie almost fell off the chair in his excitement and both Kris and Adam dove for him, then laughed at their own reactions.

Adam gave Ollie his gift first – a volcano set that Adam got kicked under the table for (which only made him grin at Kris because they’d be making a mess of Kris’ kitchen, not his), and a dinosaur world that came with a variety of dinosaurs and a case that opened up to create a habitat for them with trees and rivers and caves. The expression on Ollie’s face was thanks enough, but Ollie slipped out of his seat without any encouragement from Kris, and gave Adam a hug.

“Thank you,” Ollie nearly whispered.

“You’re welcome,” Adam whispered back, which made Ollie giggle.

Adam opened up the dinosaur world and while Ollie was playing with it he gave Kris his gift. Kris got the ‘you shouldn’t have’ expression that Adam had been expecting. Before he could say it out loud, though, Adam put his hand over Kris’ and said, “I wanted to.”

Kris blushed, for no reason Adam could discern, and said, “Okay.”

Kris just stared into the box after he’d carefully removed the paper and lifted the cover, and then he found his tongue and said, “Adam, it’s beautiful.”

“Let me see,” Ollie demanded.

Kris took the necklace out of the box and held it up for Ollie to see. Ollie nodded, and then returned to his far more interesting dinosaurs. Kris ran his fingers over the smooth polish of the guitar pick, the small diamond stud embedded in the bottom right corner.

“Will you put it on me?” Kris said, and his hands shook when he handed the necklace to Adam.

“You don’t have to wear it,” Adam said, even as he took the necklace from Kris and stood.

Kris gave Adam a look that said ‘don’t be an idiot.’

Adam fastened the clasp at the back of Kris’ neck and let his fingers brush down the chain until they met Kris’ at the pick. Kris squeezed Adam’s fingers and then got out of his chair so fast he almost clipped Adam’s chin with the top of his head. Kris turned into Adam and Adam’s arms automatically went around him, his face pressing against the side of Kris’ head so he could breath him in. Kris held Adam so tight he thought he might hear his ribs creak.

Ollie gave them a look that said they were both too weird for words.

~*~

Adam hated Christmas. What he really hated was the ten days Kris and Ollie were going to be in Arkansas. Adam filled his days with work and friends and spending time with his family, but nothing compared to the moments when he saw Kris’ name appear on his phone screen.

Kris called Adam everyday. Sometimes twice a day – early so Ollie could talk to him, and then later when the lights were out. They mostly talked about their days, and the things they’d do together when Kris and Ollie got back to LA. About Idol, and Kris’ upcoming single release.

They weren’t having phone sex until the night they suddenly were. Adam couldn’t help it that Kris’ voice _did_ things to him, okay? Kris suddenly went silent. Before Adam could ask him what was wrong, Kris asked, “Are you touching yourself?”

Adam froze. He looked down his body to see that he had indeed been touching himself. “Uh, no?” he said, and was rewarded with a delighted laugh that turned into a groan and Kris saying, “Oh god, me too.”

Adam’s cock jumped and he squeezed himself because, Jesus Christ, he’d almost just come in his pants at just hearing that.

“We can’t do this,” Adam said, though without a lot of conviction.

“Why, because I’m in my parents’ house?” Kris said.

No, Adam thought, because I have no idea what we’re doing. But he didn’t say it out loud.

“I want to,” Kris said, voice raspy and breathless. “I want you to touch yourself for me.”

Adam couldn’t help it. Kris’ _voice_. He groaned and stroked himself through his jeans.

“Are you hard?”

As a rock, Adam thought. What he said was, “Fuck! You need to stop talking.”

Kris gave a breathless laugh that turned into a whine. “Shit, I’ve got to get myself out. My jeans just got really tight.”

“I didn’t think they could get any tighter,” Adam said, which earned him a laugh, though he didn’t know how he managed to form the words when he could imagine exactly what Kris looked like as he opened his jeans and pulled himself out, all flushed and breathing hard, eyes going dark, lower lip caught between his teeth.

“Want me to talk dirty to you?” Kris said.

Adam groaned. “No! This’ll be over way too soon if you do.”

Kris chuckled. It cracked and gave Adam a good idea of what he was doing on the other end of the call.

“What are you wearing?” Adam asked.

“Wow, really?” Kris said, trying to sound snarky, but just sounding unbelievably aroused. “That’s such a cliche.”

“I want to be able to picture you,” Adam said.

“Well, I, um, I took my shirt off,” Kris said. “This isn’t the first time I’ve, uh . . . is it for you?”

“No,” Adam admitted.

“Jeans,” Kris said breathlessly. “And bare feet. What are you wearing?”

Adam told him, right down to the color of the underwear currently pushed down beneath his balls. He wouldn’t admit under torture that he got off on the sounds Kris made when Adam described how he’d pushed his jeans down and rucked up his t-shirt.

“I wanna lick your freckles,” Kris suddenly announced.

It wasn’t a surprise, since Kris had always been a little bit obsessed with Adam’s freckles, but hearing Kris say it hit Adam right in the gut. He had to speed up his strokes.

“God, Adam, I’m really close,” Kris groaned, and that was all it took to send Adam over the edge.

“Your fucking _voice_ ,” Adam said when he could speak again.

Kris’ laughter turned into a low groan as he came. Adam closed his eyes and imagined it, the way Kris threw his head back when he came, his mouth falling open as if the experience was a surprised every time, the flush on his cheeks, lips red and swollen where he’d bitten them. Kris sighed, and Adam remembered how soft and pliant Kris went against him after he came, his limbs too heavy to move, allowing Adam to pull Kris in against him and arrange them just the way he wanted.

“Hey,” Adam said, his voice low.

“Hey,” Kris said back.

They just lay there and listen to the other breathe for a long time.

~*~

They weren’t going to do that again, Adam decided the next morning. Not because he didn’t want to, because clearly he did, but because he had no idea where he stood with Kris. They were friends, and Adam was so grateful that they were able to be part of each other’s lives again. He did not want to screw that up. It had been bad enough when he’d lost Kris the first time, but if he lost Kris again he would be devastated, especially now that he’d fallen a little bit in love with Ollie, as well.

Not that he was in love with Kris. Except for how he totally was. Kris was just so easy to love (when he wasn’t being a stubborn ass or breaking Adam’s heart), and Adam wasn’t sure if he’d ever _not_ been in love with Kris, even when they were apart and he’d tried to move on.

The problem wasn’t how Adam felt about Kris, though, but that Adam didn’t know how Kris felt about him. Sure, Kris was free with shows of affection, touching Adam all the time, and even kissing him hello or goodbye. And they’d made out. Twice, if Adam counted the day they wrote that song together. And in front of a lot of other people that one time when Kris got Adam to kiss him under the mistletoe.

Then there were the looks that Adam had been afraid to read too much into. And when Adam had ridden with Kris and Ollie to the airport Sunday morning (he’d hired a car because it was way too early for either of them to be driving), Kris had touched Adam’s arm and said, “I’ll see you soon.” He’d risen up on his toes and pressed his lips to Adam’s like a promise before he and Ollie were gone.

Lastly, but certainly not least, was the phone sex they’d had the night before. Not to mention Kris’ admission that he’d touched himself before while speaking with Adam. Which made Adam want go back and reexamine every long distance conversation they’d ever had to see if he could determine when that might’ve happened.

Signs were pointing towards . . . something, but Adam was afraid to let himself hope that it was real. That they were on the same page. That Kris wanted the same thing Adam did.

“We’re not having phone sex,” was the first thing Adam said when Kris called that night. (After saying ‘hi’ and making sure it was Kris and not Ollie on the other end of the call because having to explain that was a nightmare of going to school in just his underwear proportions.)

There was a moment of silence and then Kris’ husky voice saying, “That’s a real shame. Here I am already naked and everything.”

Adam’s mouth went dry. “Are you really? Never mind! Don’t answer that! Because we are not having phone sex.”

Kris’ chuckle slid through Adam and made him want to reconsider his position on phone sex, but all Kris said was, “How was your day?”

So Adam told Kris about his day, leaving out just how much time he’d thought about _not_ having phone sex with him. Hint: way more time than should’ve been necessary to convince himself that he didn’t want to do it, if in fact he really didn’t want to do it. In turn, Kris told Adam all about their day, including Ollie’s play date with Elise, Cale and Megan’s daughter.

Adam was not disappointed when they hung up without Kris even attempting to convince him to have phone sex again. He wasn’t. The phone was still in his hand when it rang again. Adam answered it immediately when he saw Kris’ name flash on the screen.

“Were you serious about no phone sex?” Kris said without waiting for Adam to say anything.

“I hate you so much,” Adam said as he undid his jeans and shoved them down far enough to get himself out.

“Oh, thank god,” Kris breathed out in relief. “I mean, I could’ve done this without you, I guess, but it’s so much better with you.”

“Ngghh,” Adam said.

So, phone sex became a thing. A thing they did. Regularly. Adam kept telling himself that they shouldn’t, but then Kris would say something like, “Oh, god, Adam, I’ve missed your hands,” sounding completely wrecked, and Adam would forget about all the reasons that this was a Very Bad Idea.

On Sunday night, a week after Adam had seen them off at the airport, Kris said, “Do you have plans for tomorrow night?”

“Sort of,” Adam said, without much enthusiasm.

“Sort of?” Kris teased.

Adam shrugged, even though Kris couldn’t see it. He had been invited to a party, and Brad was supposed to come over so they could get ready together, but Adam’s heart wasn’t really in it. It was kind of ridiculous how much he missed Kris and Ollie.

“I’d rather talk to you,” Adam admitted.

There was a moment of silence before Kris’ voice came over the line. “Me, too,” he said. “We’ll be together at midnight, okay?”

“Deal,” Adam said, feeling a bit better about his New Year’s Eve now.

After they hung up, Adam crossed one more day of the mental tally he’d been keeping. Kris and Ollie had been gone for almost eight days now. They were supposed to fly back early Wednesday morning, and Adam was going to pick them up at the airport and not let either one of them out of his sight for as long as he could manage it.

Brad called Adam Monday morning. “Don’t forget I’m coming over later,” he said.

“How could I forget,” Adam said wryly. “You’ve reminded me everyday.”

“Just want to make sure you’ll be there,” Brad said lightly. “Look,” he added, “I know you miss Pocket Idol, but I promise that you’ll have a good time tonight.”

“I know,” Adam said. Even though he wasn’t really feeling in the party mood, he knew that he’d start perking up when he did his hair and make-up and put on his party clothes. He wished Kris could be there, but Adam just had to hold out for a few more days and he would be.

Adam did nothing that day. He got out of bed and pulled on a pair of lounge pants and a t-shirt that had a hole in the armpit and spent the morning vegging out on the couch, watching shows that had been building up on his DVR since he spent every free moment he could with Kris and Ollie. He only got up to go to the bathroom and scrounge snacks in the kitchen.

Adam had been drifting off when the doorbell rang. He checked the time on his phone – it was only two o’clock, which meant that Brad was four hours early, which further meant that Adam was going to kill him. Or hug him, because Adam didn’t want to admit just how much of a mess he was right now, but Brad probably knew anyway and had shown up early with some kind of plan to get Adam into the party mood. It probably involved chocolate and wine.

Adam swung his legs off the couch and paused the show he’d nearly fallen asleep watching. He pushed his fingers through his unwashed and uncombed hair as he walked to the door. “You’re early,” Adam said as he swung open the door. The words died on his tongue when he saw Kris standing there instead of Brad.

“A couple of days, yeah,” Kris said, smiling. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Kris,” Adam said. He couldn’t say anything else, his eyes too busy drinking in the sight of Kris as if it had been months instead of a handful of days since he’d seen him.

“Can I come in?” Kris said, looking amused at Adam’s reaction.

“Yes, of course,” Adam said, reaching out to pull Kris into the condo. “What are you doing here?” he said, not letting go of Kris’ arm as he closed the door behind him.

“I missed you,” Kris said. “And I wanted to spent New Year’s Eve with you.”

Adam swallowed hard. “You . . . . Where’s Ollie?”

“In Arkansas spending some quality time with his grandparents.”

“So you’re . . . alone?”

“I’m with you,” Kris said. “Unless . . . .”

“Brad’s coming over later,” Adam said, remembering the party he was supposed to go to.

“Uh, yeah,” Kris said, looking a little bit guilty. “About that. He’s really not.”

“He’s not?”

“Unless you’d rather go to the party.”

“Rather?”

“Or you could spend the night with me.”

“You?”

Kris hugged a little laugh. “You’re giving a guy a complex, Adam.”

“I’m very confused right now.”

“Would it help if I spelled things out for you in small words?”

Adam nodded. Kris dropped the duffel bag that had hung off his shoulder and took Adam’s hand in his.

“I’m tired of phone sex. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the phone sex was great, but I want more. I want the real thing. I want us to get naked and never leave your bedroom except to get food. And maybe some whipped cream.”

Adam made a sound that earned him a smile from Kris.

“So,” Adam said when he could speak again. “Sex, then?”

“Yes, Adam,” Kris said patiently. “Sex, and lots of it.”

Adam tried to hide his disappointment at that. Not that he didn’t want to have sex with Kris. He was fully on board for the sex. He’d just hoped . . . .

“You know I want more than that, though, right?” Kris said as he stepped closer to Adam and slipped one arm around his waist. “I’ve been trying to . . . I thought you . . . .”

“You love me,” Adam said as it suddenly became clear, all the things Kris had been doing in an attempt to show Adam just how much.

Kris smiled. “More than anything in the world except my son.”

“Oh,” Adam said. “That’s . . . .”

It was fucking fantastic, but Adam, who was rarely at a loss for words, couldn’t get those words out. Kris’ face fell.

“Adam, if you don’t . . . .”

“I do!” Adam said. “I really do.”

“Awesome,” Kris said, which made Adam laugh.

“Kris,” Adam said helplessly.

“You know what I want you to do right now?”

“What?”

“Kiss me.”

It was a request Adam couldn’t refuse. Didn’t _want_ to refuse. He took Kris’ face in his hands and pressed their lips together. It started out light, Adam almost afraid to believe that this was really happening. Kris let him take his time, planting kisses all across his mouth, lips curving up when Adam placed a kiss at the corner.

Adam pulled back so he could look at Kris. They hadn’t done much yet, hardly anything really, but his face was flushed and his eyes bright. His gaze was on Adam’s lips, and he slowly raised his eyes to meet Adam’s. Kris licked his lips.

Adam groaned. “Kris.”

“I know we still need to talk about . . . a lot of stuff,” Kris said. “But can we do that later? Because I’ve been thinking the whole flight back about you fucking me.”

Adam was galvanized into eager movement by Kris’ comment. He pushed Kris back, tripping over Kris’ bag so they hit the wall harder than Adam had planned.

“Sorry,” Adam said, “sorry.”

“I’m fine,” Kris said as he pushed his fingers into Adam’s hair and used his grip on it to pull Adam’s head closer. “But if you want, you can kiss it better.”

This kiss wasn’t soft and easy at all, as the other had been. It was frantic and messy. Adam got a hand on the back of Kris’ head so he could tilt it and deepen the kiss. He curled his other hand around Kris’ hip and dragged him closer, taking the soft sound Kris made in response into his mouth.

Kris slid one arm down so he could hook it around Adam’s shoulder and got his leg around Adam’s, which initiated a frenzied bout of delicious friction. Adam slid his hands under Kris’ ass and Kris took the hint, hoisting himself up as Adam lifted, until Kris’ legs were wrapped around Adam and Adam had Kris pinned to the wall.

Thrusting against Kris was a lot easier in this position. Adam wasn’t sure how they’d gotten to this point so quickly, but he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Kris’ chuckle broke off in a moan as Adam rutted against him, mouthed at his jaw. “You think this was quick?” Kris said in panting breaths.

Adam growled a wordless response against Kris’ throat, both because he was too distracted to answer in words, and also because he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“I’ve been trying to get into your pants for _months_ ,” Kris said.

“You could’ve _said_ something,” Adam whined as tipped his head to allow Kris better access to suck a mark into his neck.

“I didn’t think it would take you this long to catch the clue bus,” Kris said lightly.

“How can you even still _talk_?” Adam said, his whole body shaking with both the effort of holding Kris up and holding back so he didn’t just let go and fuck Kris into the wall.

Kris’ laugh at that ended with a gratifying crack. “It’s a struggle,” Kris said.

“Put that effort elsewhere,” Adam said, and then he captured Kris’ mouth again before he could get out a response.

For the next few moments, the only sounds in the room were the soft moans and panting breaths as they worked themself towards climax. Adam only released Kris’ mouth when he couldn’t hold the kiss and breathe and grind himself against Kris all at the same time. Adam buried his face in Kris’ neck as they moved together towards the finish. He touched his tongue to sweat damp skin, and then couldn’t resist sucking it into his mouth. Kris shuddered against him and moaned Adam’s name as he came.

Adam thought that maybe the polite thing to do would’ve been to wait until Kris had gone slack in his arms to make the final push for his own orgasm, but there was no way his body could ignore the way Kris said his name, as if Adam was the very air Kris breathed.

Adam’s release followed on the heels of Kris’, and soon Adam was slumped bonelessly against Kris, trying to make sure he wasn’t putting all of his weight on him. His legs shook a little bit when he tried to straighten up, so it was fortuitous that Kris whined in protest and said, “Don’t wanna move.”

“You say that now,” Adam said as he allowed himself to relax back against Kris, “but it’ll be a different story when you’re trying to clean dried come off your belly and out of your pubic hair.”

Kris snorted. “The romance is dead already.”

Adam’s heart leapt, but his voice was steady (relatively, given their recent activities), when he said, “Dried come isn’t sexy, or romantic, that’s all I’m saying.”

Kris sighed. “Okay, you can move.”

Adam pushed off from the wall and stood straight. He waited for Kris to unhook his legs and drop his feet to the floor. “Are you going to get down?” Adam asked when Kris didn’t.

“No,” Kris said. “Carry me.”

“You want me to carry you to the bedroom,” Adam said dryly.

“No, I want you to carry me to your bedroom,” Kris corrected. “This time I want to sleep naked in your bed.”

Adam stumbled over his own two feet.

“Don’t drop me,” Kris said, pulling back just enough to give Adam a knowing look.

“Don’t talk about you being naked in my bed,” Adam retorted. “Besides, it not even three o’clock, a little early to go to sleep.”

“Nap time,” Kris said. “We have to be able to stay up to watch the ball drop and kiss at midnight. Plus, I want you to fuck me after our nap.”

Adam stumbled again.

“Or we could do that before,” Kris said.

“Daddy!” Ollie called out as soon as he caught sight of Kris.

Kris went down to his knees and caught Ollie up in his arms as Ollie closed the space between them and threw himself at Kris. He pressed his face to the side of Ollie’s head and squeezed him tight as Ollie got a stranglehold on Kris’ neck in return. Kris got to his feet and Adam couldn’t resist the urge to hug them both. He wrapped his arms around Kris and Ollie and dropped a kiss to the top of Ollie’s head.

Ollie’s head came up. “Adam.”

“Ollie,” Adam said back.

“I missed you,” Ollie said with such matter-of-factness that it made Adam’s heart ache.

“I missed you, too,” Adam said. “A whole lot.”

“I missed you more,” Ollie said.

“I missed _you_ more!” Adam said.

Ollie laughed and launched himself out of Kris’ arms and towards Adam. Adam caught him, and Ollie wrapped his arms and legs around Adam and clung to him like a little monkey.

“Sorry! He escaped when he saw you,” Kim said, panting a little bit when she and Neil finally reached them dragging their carry-on baggage.

“That’s okay,” Kris said.

Ollie released Adam just enough to squirm around and sit on Adam’s hip while Kris hugged his parents in greeting and asked them about the flight as he took the bag out of his mother’s hand.

“I’m hungry,” Ollie announced.

“Do you have a tape worm?” Adam asked.

Ollie threw his head back and laughed as if that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

“Thank you,” Kris said. “For bringing him home.”

“That wasn’t a problem,” Kim said. “We were happy to do it. Especially since that gave us a few extra days with him.”

“Plus, it gives us an excuse to visit,” Neil said with a look at Adam that told him there might be a grilling in his near future.

“Speaking of,” Kim said. “How was your New Year’s Eve?”

She sounded innocent, but Adam could see the devious light in her eyes.

“It was, um, good?” Adam said, blushing.

“Mom,” Kris protested, but Adam could see that he was blushing, too.

“What? I was just asking.”

New Year’s Eve had been better than good, it had been amazing. By the time they’d gotten naked and cleaned up from round one, they were both ready for round two. Kris started out on his knees with Adam licking him open, then on his back so Adam could kiss him while he opened Kris with his fingers. Before Adam was quite finished, Kris impatiently pushed Adam to his back and rolled a condom over his cock. He climbed on and rode Adam until they were both covered in sweat and come, muscles lax and aching so good.

They napped, then ordered take-out and showered while they waited for it to arrive. Kris blew Adam in the shower (and later complained about his knees until Adam promised him the back rub which led to round four), and Adam got Kris off with his hand because his own legs had gone weak and he didn’t know if he’d be able to get down on his knees without falling.

They ate take-out when it came, called Ollie to wish him a Happy New Year, and watched a movie. The ball fell while they were in the middle of round five. Adam stopped bouncing on Kris’ cock just long enough to drag him into a kiss and whisper, “Happy New Year,” against his lips.

“We stayed up and watched the ball drop,” Adam said.

Kris bit his lip, and then burst out laughing. “Oh, god,” he said. “I hate you so much.”

Adam covered his face and laughed, too.

“What’s so funny?” Ollie said, which only set Kris and Adam off again.

Finally Kris recovered enough to say, “Nothing, Ollie, we’re just overtired.”

Kim snorted.

Ollie said, “Well, I’m over _hungry_ ,” which almost set them off again.

“Okay,” Kris said. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

Ollie squirmed to get down, so Adam set him on his feet. He took both Kris’ and Adam’s hands and said, “Swing me!”

Within hours, photos of Adam and Kris holding Ollie between them as they exited LAX with Kris’ parents trailing behind them had hit the internet. Every entertainment website and blog picked them up and reposted them. Later, after Ollie (as well as Kris parents) had fallen asleep, exhausted after the flight, Kris and Adam had snuggled on the couch and watched the end of ‘How To Train Your Dragon’, which Adam had gotten as a welcome home gift for Ollie.

When Kris got up to refresh their drinks, Adam took out his phone. His Twitter feed had blown up with the photos.

“What are you doing?” Kris said when he came back.

“Just checking Twitter,” Adam told him.

“How bad is it?” Kris asked as he sat next to Adam.

Adam smiled as he retweeted one of the tweets on his feed. He put his phone away and turned to Kris. “About like you’d expect,” Adam said.

There was some denial, some hate, but there was also a lot of support. (And a few ‘I told you so’s.) Adam ignored the beeps from his phone as people responded to his retweet, which merely said, _#kradamisreal #bitches_ with a copy of one of the photos attached.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a photo of the dragon costume that informed Ollie's costume:
> 
>  


End file.
